When Worlds Collide
by Rosesdancinginmymind
Summary: SQ AU from an anon prompt. (Full prompt inside). Emma is a waitress in her early 20s living with friends in NYC. What happens when by chance she meets the CEO of a local fashion magazine, one Regina Mills?
1. Chapter 1

Can you write a fic where Emma is in her early 20's and she lives in NYC with friends and she's kinda arrogant and cocky and Regina is a powerful CEO of a fashion mag and Emma bumps into her and Regina takes interest in her. (Emma doesn't have Henry) – anon prompt on Tumblr.

_Thanks anon for the prompt! Sorry it took so long to get up, It's a little different to the prompt in that Emma's not quite as arrogant/cocky but hopefully it works. Apologies for any mistakes. Hope you enjoy :)_

"Em!" Ruby nudges her friend with her foot to try and stir the blonde from her sleep. "Urgh" comes the muffled groan from under a pillow. "Whatever it is no"

"Em you have to work"

"Why?"

"Uh money, ya know for rent and food, and drinks?" Ruby suggests laughing at her best friend. A mess of blonde hair appears as Emma gingerly sits up.

"I thought being in our 20s was supposed to be fun" she moans.

Ruby stares at her friend, they came to New York to escape the monotony of their humdrum small town as soon as they hit 18 without really thinking about the whole adult responsibilities part of such an escape. They lucked out though getting work in a small café near a bunch of fancy looking business buildings but still it's not quite the fun they pictured.

"Something will come around soon Em. Be patient" Ruby says repeating her regular mantra.

Emma shoots her a look, "Easy for you to say, you have Belle. What do I have? A bunch of boring regulars. Nothing ever changes Rubes. We work. We go out. We come back here. When is it going to happen? This great life-changing thing? I'm bored of waiting" she huffs shrugging on her waitress uniform.

Ashley pokes her head in from round the corner, "Ah good you got her up. Hurry it up Ems, Mary's in the car and she's already pissed because you're late"

Emma grabs her phone from the mess that is her bedside table, "Pfft we aren't even that late" she yawns.

Ashley and Ruby give her a pointed look, "When did you get in last night?" Ashley asks. "Sean and I went to bed around 1 and you still weren't home"

"I don't know, around 3"

"Em" Ruby says in a scolding tone.

"What? I was just blowing off some steam, having some fun ya know" she excuses herself though she too wishes she had someone to stay in with like they all do. Living with three roommates and constantly being the seventh wheel around the couples wasn't exactly what she pictured when she decided to get her fresh start. It was fun at first, the drinking and the partying, but it's begun to lose it's allure. Last night she was only out so late because she was waiting for something to happen, for someone to come along but like most nights they didn't.

Her friends frown at her sympathetically, "I'm sure you'll meet someone soon Em" Ruby says to cheer her up.

"In Granny's café?" Emma laughs.

Ashley laughs alongside her, "Sure, you never know you'll be working one day and in they'll walk, your dream girl and she'll sweep you off your feet"

_If only_ Emma thinks as she laughs at the idea before grabbing her sketchpad and following her friends out of the apartment. Mary has her animals in the shelter that she loves to look after on the weekends, Ashley helps out at the rec centre on the corner keeping the kids entertained, Ruby has her girlfriend and her music, Emma she has her sketchpad. Ever since she was a young kid she's loved doodling, observing people and places and drawing out what strikes her. Her floor is currently littered with half-done sketches, things started but left unfinished due to a lack of inspiration.

Her mom keeps telling her to come back home, that if she wants to work there's plenty of work available in town but her mom doesn't understand. She can't go back there, to the stifling bubble of that town feeling as if she failed at her chance to get her dream. She wants to sketch and paint, to be here with her friends and find love and happiness. How can she go back to that town after her proclamation of how she would go find herself if she's failed?

She knows that if nothing comes along soon she may have to go back. _It's not like the love of my life is showing up here anytime soon anyway_ she thinks as she runs out of the door and down to her waiting friends.

* * *

Regina Mills sighs tapping her pen against her desk as she reviews the latest edition of her magazine. So far there don't appear to be any glaring errors so that's something to be thankful for at least. The fact that they dumped it on her desk this morning instead of yesterday afternoon when it would have been useful and they wouldn't have to rush to get it out still gnaws at her. Do these people not understand what a deadline is?

The phone call from her mother didn't help. Once again she was asked the usual barrage of questions: how is the little magazine going? When will you be coming back home? Any sign of a potential husband yet?

She knows her mother means well but she wishes she didn't have to justify her choice to work for a local fashion magazine rather than going into an accounting firm like her mother wanted. She tried. She really did but after a week in an office with a bunch of boring tax returns and staid people and work she couldn't do it. She knew her mother was disappointed but when she soon the opening for a junior editor at _NYStyle _it was as if it called out to her. Throughout her business degree she was in the art club and took as many art courses as she could, anything to keep her interest alive.

Luckily the business part of her college education came in handy as she quickly worked her way up the ranks until the old CEO retired and she was summoned to the top offices. Her mother was thrilled that she had attained such power so quickly and yet she still gets nagging phone calls about how she has peaked at the little company and should set her sights higher.

She sighs once more rubbing her sore temples from another night nursing wine alone and stalks across her sleek glass walled office to look out at the floor. Workers who used to be her friends focused on individual deadlines, articles and organising shoots, all of whom look up to her to get her judgement on their latest issue.

She smiles broadly, putting on her best professional smile to hide her irritation at this awful morning so far, "Excellent work everybody" they all let out a collective relieved sigh, no matter what she does or where she began in the company they all still fear her. Part of her knows she should be grateful for her lot in life and yet she can't help but miss when people treated her like a regular person, as if she was just another individual picking out the latest trends or being invited to the bar for drinks with everyone else. Instead she is the boss, isolated in her gilded cage as they all rush for her and she deals with the final spread and editing and doing her best to keep their models and investors happy. She can see them all waiting for more instruction. Regina runs her hand through her finely cut chocolate locks before resting her hand on a blazered hip, "Right let's get back to it. Keep up the good work everyone"

She spins on her heel finding the room stifling. Footsteps ring out behind her, no doubt her assistant come to call her out to another meeting where she must put on a smile and impress their board. Regina sits down on her imperious and comfortable designer office chair waiting for his nervous knock on the door. "Come in Sidney" she calls used to the way the employees here cower in her presence, fearful of her disapproval. None of them remembering she was just like them only a few years ago. She has to be tough though, a soft CEO does not survive in the world of magazines and competition. She needs them to keep up and she has to be the face of it, to ensure that their magazine survives and flourishes, even if it means she lives a lonely life.

Her assistant enters, a short squirrely sort of man, "Miss Mills" he greets with a smile.

"Sidney, what now?" she asks wishing this day would just be over as she looks over her desk noticing the absence of one of her life essentials.

"Mr Spencer called" ah one of her mother's many contacts and the head of the board, a loathsome and finicky man who she's certain only suffers her presence here because of the reputation that comes with being Cora Mills' daughter.

"And?"

"He needs to reschedule your meeting with him to tomorrow morning"

"But we have the meeting with publishers" she reminds him.

"Not a problem, I'll reschedule it for the afternoon"

"And the photoshoot for the centre spread?"

"I'll take care of it" a familiar voice says as she enters the room. The only person here who won't knock, her best friend and creative director, "Hello Kathryn" she says with a small smile, "Do you mind dear? I know you're busy"

Kathryn gives her a look, since college she knows how much her friend loves to do for things for herself, never letting anyone help even if she has too much on her plate. "It's fine Regina. You deal with Spencer. I'll sort the photoshoot"

Regina smiles gratefully, "Thank you Kathryn. Was there anything else?"

"I just wanted to see if you want to come out tonight? Frederick can bring a friend"

Regina frowns at the thought of another blind date. Her last few of those have been hideous, her mother and her friend picking well to do businessmen, each one more dull than the last. She wants someone exciting, someone who can bring the spark back into her life, and most importantly someone who doesn't treat her as if she were made of spun silk just because of her job and parents.

"No thank you Kathryn. I have a lot to do here tonight"

Her friend sighs disappointedly, "Alright, maybe next time"

"Next time" Regina says though she'll more than likely decline then to.

She waits for her friend to leave before turning to her waiting assistant, "Sidney where's my coffee?" she asks impatiently.

He gulps nervously, "T-the machine's broken. I can run out and get you run" he blabbers worriedly trying to make amends for his error.

Regina shakes her head needing to escape this place for a little bit, "No, I'll go out and get some myself. Deal with the phones, if anyone calls tell them I shall phone back upon my return" she barks before storming out of the office hoping something can change this dog of a day.

* * *

Emma doodles absentmindedly on her notepad as the lunch crowd begins to filter out, _great that means the rush is over_ she thinks as boredom begins to take over. It didn't take long for her to memorise the schedule of this little eatery, before 9 am they get the business types – well typically their assistants – grabbing fancy coffees to go, in the mid-morning they mostly get a few college kids and some of the 'mommy' crowd as she calls them, then a lunch rush and then quiet until dinner time when she gets to call it quits and hit the bar.

"Hey Ems" Ruby says with a grin that means she wants something.

"Yeah" Emma replies casually drawing swirls of flowers and vines over her wrist.

"You see that girl over there" Ruby suggests subtly pointing to one of the leftover college types. Emma looks at her, cute but from the looks of it one of those experimenting types and not the settling down kind, "What about her?" Emma asks sensing a dreaded set-up.

"She's cute" Ruby purrs.

"You have a girlfriend"

Ruby shoots her a glare, "Not for me, for you"

"No thanks"

"I thought you wanted to get with someone. Lord knows you need to get laid"

"Ruby!"

"What? Em you go out and get drunk but you haven't been with someone in months. Time to have some fun"

"Maybe I don't want fun Ruby. I want what you, Ashley and Mary have"

"And you're going to get it sitting around here? You gotta talk to people Ems"

"I swear you're worse than my mom" Emma teases before moving to fill one of her regular's order. "Harsh!" Ruby yells across the café before returning to clearing the plates and shuttling them off to Ashley in the kitchen.

Mary comes over to her once her shift is finished, because of the shelter volunteering she does with her boyfriend David, she only does the morning shift and gets to flee the café after lunch. The petite brunette slides in beside her, "You okay Emma?" she asks noticing how down her friend looks, like she has done for the past few weeks.

"Yeah, it's just my Mom's on my case about moving back and here's the thing, I love living here, but you, Ashley and Ruby, you found people already and that's great for you guys but I just, I feel like the odd one out all the time. And then my Mom phones and asks me what's keeping me here and I honestly don't know what to tell her"

Mary frowns in sympathy before placing a hand on her friend's arm, "Look Em, we came here after high school to get our happy endings right?" Emma nods remembering the dream the four of them cooked up around a cafeteria table, "Don't give up just because yours hasn't arrived yet. It will happen Emma"

"Maybe"

"It will Ems"

"I wish I had your optimism" Emma remarks bitterly.

Mary smiles, "Well if not I'll be optimistic for you" she squeezes her arm, "Your happy ending is coming Em. Just wait for it. See ya later" she says with a smile before hopping off a stool and exiting the diner upon spotting David's truck.

After her exit Emma grabs her sketchbook wondering if any of the handful of customers here can provide inspiration on this slow afternoon. Her pencil hovers over the empty page when the doorbell walks. Emma gasps staring at the unknown figure who walks in. Her eyes travel up from a pair of high expensive heels, before moving up long legs that disappear beneath a short black skirt. Emma continues her visual journey over a clean pressed blazer and a silky red shirt which gives a delicious glimpse of a full cleavage. It's her face that Emma's eyes linger on. Dark chocolate locks end in a flip on the woman's shoulders, a hint of a curl forming at the bottom, framing an irritated looking face. In spite of the stern expression the woman wears Emma can't help but be captivated by the rich beautiful eyes and the full lips topped by an intriguing scar.

Her pencil hits the page and her hand finally begins to move.

* * *

Regina storms out of her office trying to push through the throng of foot traffic in search of a decent cup of coffee. She spots a small café across the street which looks mercifully quiet. She smiles, she could do with a moment of peace before heading back into the office. Out here on the street the buildings surrounding her seem to blend into one, a long never-ending blur of power and isolation.

She spots a lull in traffic, _maybe my luck is changing today_, and darts across the road only to bump right into a small brunette sending them both tumbling to the ground. _So much for luck_ she thinks huffing in frustration hauling herself up off the path and brushing down her clothes, a scowl settling on her face. Seems like the fates are against her today.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry" a perky voice chirps in her ear.

She turns upon the aggravation sound, "It's fine" she snaps quickly just wanting to get her coffee and get this day over with.

She notices the waitress uniform, one can only hope the staff inside are less likely to barrel into her.

Regina crosses the threshold glad to see no-one she recognises. The last thing she needs today is to bump into one of the businessmen in her circle. The café is a cozy place, only about fifteen small pine coloured tables from what she can see, just a small simple place with a bar stretching across one side. Her irritation begins to fall from her face at the relaxing atmosphere of the little space and she walks over to the bar noticing a young blonde staring at her, her hand moving beneath the bar.

This though is not the stare she's used to. Over her life her mother would introduce her to men who would stare her up and down, one goal in mind. This look is different, there's a spark of lust in the sea-green eyes but there's also something else. The blonde blushes when she notices that she's been spotted staring transfixed at her, _as if I were the only one here_ she thinks, and quickly stands up. "Hey how can I help you?" she asks cheerily though her tone suggests a complacency.

"A coffee please" she replies intrigued as to what the blonde was doing. She can see marker pen lines up the women's wrist but can't make out what they are. There are plenty of free tables and yet something compels her to sit at the bar.

Regina watches as the other woman prepares her coffee, her eyes raking over fine figure of the blonde, it's clear that she works out from the muscles in her arms, she lands on the other woman's behind for several moments, her mind instantly going to dirtier thoughts. She blushes wondering what has taken hold of her before raising her gaze to the other woman's chest and finally up to the blonde's face. In spite of her obvious boredom with the work she's focussed, her tongue running over a full upper lip as sparkling mesmerising eyes remain fixed on the coffee mug. Blonde curls fall haphazardly from their loose ponytail some falling down into the back of the plain white shirt that makes up her uniform.

She quickly looks down as the blonde places the mug down beside her. Regina smiles her thanks as she hands her some money catching a glimpse of the vines and flowers drawn casually yet intricately on a pale wrist. Simple yet beautiful all at once.

"Emma" she whispers to herself reading the name-tag.

"What?" the waitress asks flashing a smile in her direction. Regina blushes at having been caught and flusters for a moment before settling for a simple, "Thank you, for the coffee"

She should be getting back to the office, there'll be calls to return, papers to look over and email correspondence with several agents to do and yet she can't bring herself to move.

Her eyes meet with the blonde's, they lock gazes for several moments as time slows down around them. Regina swears she can hear her heart beat in her chest as she loses herself in a mysterious yet gorgeous blend of colour, blue, green, she can't tell. It's been a long time since a person has invoked this reaction in her. People rarely even have the courage to look at her for too long let alone meet her eyes, eager to return to their own work or in the case if her board they're looking elsewhere or trying to trip up. No-one has looked at her, truly looked at her, in so long that it sends her heart skipping in her chest. _My gods, look at me, acting like a fool over a stranger in a coffee shop_ she scolds herself and yet does not look away.

Emma smiles at her, not the nervous, fearful or false kind she normally gets, this one is a genuine smile that makes her smile in return. "What's your name?" Emma asks.

"Regina. Regina Mills" she replies extending her hand.

Emma shakes it, "Pretty name" she says.

At that the brunette's heart falls. The blonde doesn't recognise her name, that's why she treats her differently, once she realises she'll probably treat her as everyone else does. She frowns upon noticing the magazine in the blonde's hand, "Regina Mills" she repeats, "As in this Regina Mills?" she asks pointing to the flourished script bearing her name above the list of senior editors.

Regina nods reluctantly but the blonde merely drops the magazine and flashes her a cheeky grin, "Playing hooky?" she asks.

The brunette blinks in shock at the impertinent question, no-one ever speaks to her this way. It's refreshing. She can't help but flash the blond before her a smile, "I'll answer your question if you answer mine"

Emma chews her lip curiously before deciding to take a chance, what could it hurt? "Alright, what do you want to know?"

"What are you doing?" Regina asks, "And yes I am taking a break. I needed one"

Emma smiles sympathetically, "Bad day? I like to sketch"

"Very, let's just say being CEO not as fun as it sounds. What were you sketching?"

"Really it sounds great, what's so bad about it? The money, everyone doing what you say, I don't see the downside"

"You didn't answer my question" Regina points out.

Emma blushes, "You didn't answer mine"

"It's lonely" she admits, "Everyone does what I tell them but they do it out of fear. They all forget that I was one of them a few years ago."

"Why don't you do something else?"

"Why don't you?"

"What?"

"You don't look very happy either"

"That's not to do with work. It's more outside of work that's weighing me down" the blonde admits. "Plus I need the money"

Regina nods in understanding, "I know this job. I'm involved in something I love and I can do the job well. I guess I just never saw the point in changing it"

"So what brings you down here? Most of these CEO types just send their assistants" Emma remarks without thinking, not noticing the glower that descends upon the brunette's face. Great, so the blonde thinks she's just like the rest of them. "Maybe I should get back to work" she snaps standing up.

Emma frowns not wanting the other woman to leave. "Wait. Here" she says lifting her sketchpad to reveal the beginnings of a drawing of the brunette.

"That's me" Regina says stunned walking back over. Emma notes that even the woman's walk is empowered, commanding of respect, it's clearly an attitude she's perfected over the years. A mask meant to invoke fear and show the world a woman you don't mess with.

"It is" Emma admits.

Regina raises her finger to trace the pencil marks on the page impressed by both the accuracy and the passion evident in the work, "It's not finished" she says sitting back down.

Emma blinks at her, "What?"

She has work to do. She's never blown off a day of work in her life and yet something about the young waitress intrigues her, draws her in, and so instead she sits, "I'll make you a deal"

Emma smiles at her captivated by the woman's sultry voice and offer, "What kind of a deal?"

"I'll let you finish your drawing if you let me take you to dinner" the proposition falls impulsively from red lips shocking both women. Regina hasn't made a rash decision like this since leaving the accounting firm and joining the magazine instead. She certainly hasn't been impulsive like this when it comes to relationships. Then again she can't remember the last time she came face to face with a woman who had her as entranced as Emma does right now.

Emma blinks in surprise, she gets offers but certainly not ones like that and not from people like Regina. Well not CEOs or fancy business looking types. Somehow she suspects there's more lurking under that power goddess image that Regina has created and the blonde knows she's already been sucked in, that she wants to uncover the woman beneath the mask.

"Deal"

_Should I continue or leave it here? Up to you guys. Always happy to hear what you think. Thank you very much for reading :)_


	2. Chapter 2

_First of all thank you all so much for the feedback on the first chapter! You guys rock. Apologies for any mistakes. This would have been up sooner but typing for too long causes absolute agony in my arm right now. Hope you all enjoy it :)_

Regina fidgets on the stool wondering if Emma wants her to pose in any way for this drawing. After all she's used to the portraits and photos her mother sets up wherein she's poked and prodded into the perfect position and forced to sit still until the shot is just right. It's a perfectionism she knows has filtered through into her own work, it's why she likes to be the ones to organise and oversee the photo-shoots, so that she can make sure her vision is just how she imagined it when it comes to print. So on instinct she waits for Emma to give her an instruction or tell her to sit still. She blinks in surprise and tilts her head curiously when the blonde merely peeks up at her before continue to sketch making sure to keep the page just out of the brunette's view.

Emma looks up to see an uncomfortable almost nervously tense expression upon Regina's face. She frowns pausing her pencil's path of a tantalising lip and drops the pencil. "What's wrong?" she asks.

"I'm sorry dear?" Regina asks.

"You look uncomfortable" Emma explains wondering if perhaps the brunette is regretting their earlier deal. God she hopes she isn't. This Regina Mills, whose name she recognises from the fashion magazine Ruby loves, is after all the most mesmerising person she's seen in a long time.

Regina chews her lip before once more surprising herself and explaining herself to the blonde, she never normally justifies her decisions and actions to anyone – no-one ever takes the time to notice how she's feeling or question it, not since her promotion to CEO anyway. Kathryn does at times but she would never be as blunt and open about it as Emma is. "Do you not want me to pose?" she asks.

"No, you're good"

"Really?"

"I don't like drawing people all posed and postured like that. It's not real. I'd rather just capture you so relax" she says with a wide grin which she hopes will reassure the woman before her.

"You just want to draw me?" Regina asks, a softness creeping into her voice as her eyes widen slightly, no-one ever just wants her to be her. Everywhere she goes someone expects her to be someone whether it's her mother expecting her to be the perfect daughter or having to be the controlling 'bitch' as she's heard them call her at work. It's only when she's alone that she gets to be her and now the blonde is offering her the same thing.

She smiles at Emma and the waitress's breath hitches at the sight of the small shining smile that lights up the face before her. That, that is the face she wants to draw, the slight and hesitant happiness that gives the brunette a glow about her. She hopes she can do it justice. She clears her throat as she begins sketching once more, "So why don't you tell me about yourself?"

"What do you want to know?" Regina asks taking a sip of her cooling coffee. She pulls back, her nose scrunching up in disgust at the lukewarm bitterness. Emma stifles back a laugh at the adorable expression before grabbing the cup and refilling it.

"Here that should be better" she says with a grin.

"Thanks" Regina replies enjoying the pleasant warmth of the drink. She really needed this today. "So, what do you want me to tell you?"

Emma smiles at the phrasing, "What do you want to tell me?" she retorts.

Regina smirks, "Well played dear. Okay I was born in Brooklyn. Where are you from? You don't sound like a native of this city"

"I'm from a tiny town in Maine. You won't have heard of it" Emma replies.

"Try me" Regina says.

"Storybrooke" Emma says with a sigh.

"Storybrooke?" Regina asks incredulously, "How quaint"

"If by quaint you mean dull then yeah quaint" Emma remarks praying she doesn't have to return to that tiny town.

"So why New York?"

Emma smiles pausing to look up to see if she's got Regina's eyes right. She thinks back to the day she and her friends made their plan, the four of them seated around the shiny aluminium cafeteria table, a magazine in front of them. The careers counsellor had led an assembly that morning telling them of the career prospects in Storybrooke. Given the limited options in the town it didn't exactly inspire them. It was Emma who had suggested getting away, thinking of the cityscapes she'd seen in her magazines and online. Her dreams were filled of skyscrapers and excitement, living in the buzz and hum of the city, going out, having fun and meeting people.

She's done the going out part. She's had fun but now she needs more. She has her job, she has her friends but something's missing. Her deal with Regina is the first date she's had in months, certainly the first she's looked forward to in a long time. A smile graces her lips as she wonders whether or not Regina might just be what she's been looking for before she shakes her head, _too soon Em, don't get ahead of yourself_.

"Emma?" Regina's voice cuts through her reverie.

"Huh?" she asks. The brunette raises a brow at the questioning sound unused to people drifting off in front of her. Normally when she asks questions she gets answers immediately. The blonde though stared at her dreamily clearly losing herself in memory. Were she one of the people at her work Regina knows she'd have snapped at them demanding answers, but when faced with silence from Emma, she found herself entranced by the far off wistful gaze of the blonde wondering what she was thinking.

"I asked you why New York?" Regina repeats her question with an amused chuckle at the blonde's 'deer in headlights' face.

"Oh, well I saw it in magazine and on TV and stuff as a kid and I guess even then it just kinda called out to me as a place I wanted to be" she says with a shrug, "What about you? I'm guessing you don't live in Brooklyn anymore"

"No I don't" she replies sadly. Her mother barely even mentions the time they spent there, preferring to focus on their days of wealth. Regina though enjoys thinking about it, the happier moments of her childhood where her father would allow her to go out and play in the streets with the other kids, when she could wander around without bearing the weight of being 'Cora Mills' daughter'.

"So what happened?"

"Well my mother was always pushing for my father to get a better job, to provide for his family and get us out of what she called 'this hellhole of a neighbourhood' and well one day he caved and did. Have you heard of the Mills Corporation?"

"The one that does all those business and housing contracts? I think they own my building" Emma pauses before looking at her, "Your family are those Millses?!"

"Yes"

"You must have a fortune! Do you even need to work?" Emma exclaims before clasping a hand over her mouth instantly blushing in shame at the youthful outburst.

Regina for her part looks down. Emma's reaction is the same as everyone's. _Those Millses_. All of her life in the shadow of the Mills name.

"Sorry" Emma says, "Really I am, please continue"

"Well my Dad decided to start his own business. He wanted to keep it small but my mother had other ideas. When he died she took it over and well the rest of that business is history. She built it up and up and up and now everyone knows the Mills name"

"So how come you work?"

"My mother wanted me to go to business school so I could take over after her. I went because well I had no choice"

"How come?"

"You don't say no to Cora Mills" Regina explains sadly and Emma decides not to push it. "Oh"

"Well I graduated and I tried to work in a tax firm like she wanted but I couldn't"

"Don't blame you" Emma says with a shudder, "All those numbers would make my head spin"

Regina laughs, "Well they were as exciting as you think they were so I got out and saw an advert for a job at the magazine and I took it" she pauses to take another sip of coffee.

"I'm guessing your Mom was pissed?" Emma asks.

The brunette blushes at the blunt way the blonde puts it, "Yes. She made sure I would never get my inheritance"

"That's terrible" Emma replies, "I'm sorry"

Regina shrugs, "I never wanted it. I didn't need all that money. I just wanted to do my job and do it well"

"I'm guessing you did since you became CEO"

"Well it would seem a part of me still wants to impress my mother. They offered me the promotion and I took it. I thought she'd be proud of me" she mutters glumly.

"She isn't?" the blonde asks incredulously. If she ever got promoted she's certain her mom would do cartwheels all over Storybrooke.

"She calls it my little magazine job, she keeps asking me to join her at the firm but I'd rather not"

"Can't say I blame you" Emma replies sketching out one of the flips of brown hair.

"Well my mother does"

"Ignore her. Do you like your job?" Emma asks.

"For the most part" Regina says, "There are a lot of times I don't but I'd rather keep the job I have than join my mother's business"

Emma frowns at the answer wishing the brunette were happier, "Well if you're happier not being there I think your Mom should understand that"

Regina smiles back, "Thanks. Now come on tell me something"

"What?"

"Well dear I have to do a lot of business deals and I just told you a huge chunk of my personal backstory, don't you think I should get to hear a story in return?" In truth she really doesn't want to share too much more about her mother. _Let's save that for later, much, much later._ After all her mother has scared off plenty of people in the past. If she and Emma get that far then she'll tell the blonde more. Until then the less she talks about Cora the better. Thinking about her childhood doesn't exactly make her happy. As much as she wants to share with the blonde she needs a break from storytelling for the moment. Besides she wants to know more about the intriguing young woman behind the bar.

"Alright well sit tight, it's a really exciting story." Regina props her head up on her hand enraptured by the blonde's voice. "It was a typical dreary day in the tiny town of Storybrooke when suddenly Emma Swan was born"

"And trouble came to the town?" Regina asks with a smirk.

"If only" Emma replies. "Anyway the young intrepid explorer Emma was born to a school teacher Mom and a Dad who works in the cannery"

"A cannery?"

"Well in Storybrooke, you work at the diner, the school or the cannery. There really isn't much else" Emma explains.

"Oh so what happened next?"

Emma smiles at her about to continue before shaking her head and dropping her pencil down, "I'll tell you the rest during our date"

Regina pouts, "No fair"

"Ah but it is because I finished your drawing so I get a story but you haven't taken me on the date so you get a story later" she says cockily.

The brunette narrows her eyes at her before smiling at the teasing expression on soft pink lips, "Well then I suppose I'll see you tonight Miss Emma Swan"

A shiver runs down the blonde's spine at the formality before she carefully tears the picture out of her sketchbook, "Wait, for you" she says holding out the paper.

"I thought it was for you" Regina replies stunned by the gift.

"Nah, I'll draw more for me" Emma says with a wink in the brunette's direction thrusting the paper into Regina's hand.

The brunette looks down at the sketch in her hands and gasps. She's seen many photos of her in her time but she's never looked quite as happy as she does in this sketch. She marvels at the way the blonde managed to capture so many little details about her right down to the little scar on the side of one of her eyes. And yet she's drawn so much more. There's a shine in her eyes that she's never seen before. _Wow_ is all she can think staring at the image of her own face. She looks up to the blonde trying to find the words she wants to say in response to this simple yet amazing gift. A sob catches in her throat, no-one has ever done anything like this for her let alone presented her this way. Finally she chokes out a "Thank you" as a small happy smile settles on her face, the one that Emma took such great care to pencil out.

Emma grins upon seeing it, glad she was the one to put that light on the brunette's face, "I'll see you tonight" she replies before handing her a napkin with her address.

Regina nods, "I'll be by at 8. Goodbye Emma" she says carefully holding the drawing in her grasp dreading the return to her office after having spent the afternoon here with someone who just wanted to talk to her and enjoy her company. What waits for her in her office is the banality of budgets and paperwork. She sighs wishing she could just stay here a little longer but she'll be seeing the blonde later and she's wary of overstaying her welcome plus she knows she has to at least do some of the work on her desk.

Emma stands nervously nearby her knowing she has to wait until eight tonight to see the brunette again. She can see her dithering by the doorway clearly reluctant to head back to her office. _Oh hell just do it_ her brain tells her and so she walks forward before placing a small kiss on a tan cheek enjoying the way a blush forms upon it and how lips turn up in a smile. "8" Emma says with a grin before pulling away and returning to the bar.

"8" Regina repeats quietly her hand going up to rest where she can feel the residual warmth and softness of lips. She walks back to her office with a smile that won't leave her face.

* * *

Regina walks up the steps to her office annoying the confused and surprised looks of the people on the floor, all of them looking from their computers and over to the clock before murmuring to each other. She shuts out their idle gossip and speculation still focussed on the picture in her hands and the lingering trace of a kiss on her cheek.

"Problem Sidney?" She asks with a bemused smirk as he gapes at her.

"Just Miss Mills, where have you been?"

"Out" she answers vaguely.

"People called for you, we thought you were just going for coffee" he states at a flustered pace, "I didn't know what to tell them"

"Hopefully you told them I would call them back later" Regina says seating herself at her desk before taking her picture and placing it in the centre of the table so she can look at it some more her mind already drifting back to her date for the night.

"I'll bring you the list" he says, "Oh and Spencer called, he says he'll be here at 9am sharp tomorrow. I called the publishers and made it a lunch meeting so that way you can still catch some of the photo-shoot" he lingers clearly awaiting the praise that he seems to live off.

"Okay, that's great Sidney, thanks" she says in a casually cheerful tone that catches them both off guard.

He stands there staring open mouthed at her for a few moments until she looks up at him, "The list Sidney?"

"Oh yes, of course" he says quickly scurrying out of her office.

As soon as he leaves a blonde head pops round. "Ah the famous Miss Mills returns" Kathryn quips walking in and sitting across from her.

"Hello Kathryn. Can we pick this up later? I've got to get through all this paperwork" she begins before her friend shakes her head, "No way Regina, _you_ disappear all afternoon missing work for the first time in forever and you expect me not to notice? Come on spill"

"I went for coffee" Regina says with a small smile quickly hiding the sketch in her bag and opening up the emails that need he response on her computer.

Kathryn raises an eyebrow at her recognising that smile, "Hm must have been great coffee" she says knowingly.

Regina merely grins at her in response, "Yes, yes it was"

The blonde sighs knowing she isn't going to get much more out of her tight-lipped friend, "Well I suppose you'll have to take me to this coffee place sometime" either way she will find out who has put that smile on Regina's face.

Regina blushes in response, "Maybe"

Kathryn smirks knowing she was right, "So does you're impromptu missed afternoon mean you're staying stuck here all night or can I convince you to come out with me and Frederick?"

"Neither" Regina replies vaguely.

"Neither?" Kathryn questions.

"I have plans" she says with a smile before shooting a half glare at her friend's disbelief, "What?" she asks with a small laugh, "I do have plans sometimes"

"Let me guess another one of your mother's set-ups?" Kathryn asks knowing it isn't from the smile on the brunette's face rather than the look of dread that typically accompanies a legendary Cora Mills blind date.

"Mercifully no" Regina replies looking back to her report and scribbling her signature on it.

"So who?"

"Just someone I met"

Kathryn merely grins at her before walking round to her friend knowing she's the only one in this workplace who would even chance getting this close to the other woman but to her this is not Regina Mills CEO, she never has been, to her Regina is still the best friend she met on the first day of college and well no promotion will change that. She walks round pulling Regina into a hug which the brunette reciprocates, "Have fun Regina" Kathryn says with a smile.

* * *

Emma stands before the mess that is her closet rubbing her hands over her face with a sigh. "Urgh!" she exclaims flopping down on her bed. She has plenty of clubbing clothes and work clothes but date clothes? She has no idea. It's been a long time since she's had one let alone one she's excited about. She stands rifling through the small collection of dresses she has hung up scowling at each one of them. "I have no clothes" she declares throwing her hands up in the air.

"Why so fussy?" Ruby asks leaning in the doorway startling her friend.

"Rubes, how long have you been there?"

"Long enough to know you're freaking out over clothes" she replies walking over to join Emma.

"So what's the occasion?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well you're getting all dressed up"

"I always dress up to go out"

"Yeah but you normally just chuck something on not stare at your clothes like this." Suddenly her friend grins, "You have a date" she declares. "Was it the cute college girl I showed you?"

"No"

"Then who?"

Emma smiles at her friend before zipping her lips shut with her fingers.

"Oh come on Em!"

"Nope"

"Why?"

"It'll jinx it"

"Since when were you afraid of jinxes?" she asks.

_Since I met an amazingly gorgeous woman who I don't want to blow it with_ Emma thinks before answering her friend, "You know, got to want good luck for a date right?"

Ruby shoots her a knowing look at the evasion and obvious lie, "Right, so what are you going to wear?"

"Nothing. I have nothing" Emma groans sitting down next to her friend.

"I'm sure wearing nothing would impress your date"

Emma laughs, "Yeah but ya know first date means clothes"

"Of course, come on then Ems, let's get you dolled up"

"Shouldn't take long" Emma replies cockily giving her friend a confident smirk so as to mask her current nerves.

* * *

The dreaded phone rings at seven o'clock. Regina groans walking across her sleek and modern apartment to grab her cell phone. "Hello mother" she greets politely as she rests her hand on the marble counter-top.

"Regina dear how are things?"

"Great"

"Your magazine?"

"Going fine mother, how are you?"

"You know me dear, doing well, the business is thriving" _less than two minutes, a new record for hint dropping_ Regina thinks bitterly as she keeps her eye on the clock.

"That's good"

"Have you given more thought to joining me dear?" her mother's sickly voice oozes across the phone line.

"No mother, I have a job"

"Yes of course. You'd do so much better here though dear"

"I like my job mother"

"That's all fine and good Regina but what about the future?"

"What about it?" she asks impatiently instantly scolding herself for her tone.

The voice that replies is much terser, "Well dear it's certainly nice for you to gallivant about the city producing your little rag but at some point one assumes you will shoot for higher goals, marriage and perhaps a better company?"

She know she shouldn't. She knows there will be ramifications but she keeps replaying her conversation with Emma from earlier where the blonde supported her decision to not give into her mother, telling her to do what makes her happy instead. She know she shouldn't but she hangs up the phone disconnecting on her mother setting the phone to silent with a small smile pushing her mother's voice out of her mind. After all she has a date to get ready for.

She moves from the kitchen and back through to her plush bedroom, the sketch from earlier now propped up on her bedside table. She smiles at the drawing once more before moving to face her wardrobe wondering what to choose.

She has plenty of fashionable and beautiful gowns, the perks of being CEO of a fashion magazine

* * *

Eventually after bringing in both Ashley and Mary Margaret Emma settled for wearing her curls loose and down and a pink dress that she thinks looks just smart enough for a restaurant rather than a club, not that she knows where Regina is taking her.

Her friends grin like idiots the whole time gushing over how amazing and astounding it is to see Emma this worried about a date. She wants to snap at them but she can't. It's true, she hasn't put this much effort in for anyone since they came to New York. As much as she'd like to tell them all to shut up she can't because she knows this is different. This isn't heading to a bar to drink away her boredom or hunt for a one-night stand, this is a dinner with someone who she actually liked and could see more happening with.

Mary wanders over to her as she's slipping her heels on, "No boots?" she asks shocked to see Emma without her usual calf length boots.

"It's a date Mare" Emma replies.

Her friend smiles at her, "So who is this mystery woman?"

"Just someone I met"

"Oh please Emma. We never get to discuss your dates!"

"That's because you never want to know" Emma replies with a wink.

Her friend scowls at her, "That's because those weren't really dates Em. They were distractions"

"Nice ones" the blonde says with a wink.

The short haired brunette play punches her in the arm, "Em-ma" she stretches it out scoldingly.

"Sorry" Emma replies through a laugh.

"Just admit that this is different"

"Okay it's different. I feel like this could be something M&M"

"Really?"

"Really"

Her friend beams at her, "I told you you just had to be patient!" she squeals.

Emma smiles weakly at her, "Don't get ahead of yourself, it's our first date"

"It's a start though Em"

"Ohmygod!" Ashley comes in her words blurring into one.

"What?" Mary asks confused by her friend's excitement.

"Emma, how could you not tell us?"

"Tell us what?" Mary asks again.

Ruby comes marching in, "You're going on a date with _Regina Mills?!_"

"Regina Mills? As in from the magazine?"

"Yeah. She's like outside the door right now."

"She's here?" Emma asks excitedly smoothing her hands over her dress as she stands eagerly. She runs out the room ignoring her friends' stunned faces and questions so she can get the door.

She pulls it open trying to steel her features to dispel the excitement as her friends wolfwhistle and laugh from the other room. She turns to glare at them before opening the door. Any words she had die on her lips as she takes in the sight of the brunette wrapped in a gorgeous one-shouldered black dress and matching heels.

"Ready Emma?"

_I kind of got carried away writing these two at the beginning of the chapter and so it ran a lot longer which means the date itself will be next chapter. Hopefully if all goes well in terms of the stack of uni work and my evil shoulder that update will be sooner rather than later. Always happy to hear what you think. Thank you for reading :)_


	3. Chapter 3

_Hi again! Sorry for the delay but my shoulder has been killing me and then my laptop decided not to work for a few days :( Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews and the follows and favourites so far. My apologies for any mistakes. Hope you enjoy :)_

"Wow" Emma breathes out in an awestruck whisper her eyes focussed solely on the stunning woman before her. She has honestly never seen anyone or anything quite so beautiful in all of her 23 years. She doesn't hear the wolf-whistles of her friends, just sees the adorable shy blush that forms on tanned cheeks. It only adds to the breathtaking vision that is Regina Mills.

"Beautiful" she says thinking aloud.

"Pardon?"

Emma clears her throat summoning her nerve, "I said you're beautiful"

Regina has heard this before but never in the reverent tone that Emma uses. She's always known that she is an attractive woman, people have commented on her looks throughout her entire life. Her mother and her friends took great joy in teaching her how to use her beauty and that her appearance was of great value be it in manipulating horny businessmen or in her mother's search for a suitor for her daughter. However, not one of them made her feel like Emma just did. When they called her beautiful she felt empty, a dressed up doll paraded and displayed at her mother's whims. Hearing the word tumble from Emma's lips causes her to gasp at the wonder and sincerity in it. A warm sensation of happiness tingles in her chest. She doesn't feel leered at or like a trinket to be shown off, instead for the first time in her life Regina truly feels beautiful.

"Thank you Emma. You look beautiful yourself dear" and she does. Dressed in a pink dress and heels, though she looks somewhat out of her comfort zone, the younger woman does look utterly gorgeous. Regina takes a moment to appreciate the way that the dress accentuates all the right places and how Emma's legs look in heels. She smiles upon seeing the blonde curls from earlier loose and tumbling freely down her shoulders.

Emma flashes a cocky smirk feeling slightly insecure about her simple dress and cheap heels next to the brunette, "Well I try my best"

What she doesn't realise is that Regina sees right through her bravado. She knows it all too well, a confident mask worn to convince the world that you know you're glamorous or powerful or strong when in reality you still have fears and insecurities hiding inside. She smiles softly at Emma, "You succeeded" she says.

At that Emma grins. Her worries of disappointing Regina or being a crummy date are still there but less so. Seeing that soft smile and hearing the sincere tone, knowing that Regina really does think she looks beautiful, is enough to dissipate some of that fear. _She wants to be here Swan. She wants you_.

"Shall we get going?" Regina asks offering her arm out to Emma as she has seen many of her own suitors do. She's never taken anyone out on a date before so she's unsure exactly of what to do and when in doubt she goes for past experience. In her case it's the actions of people who have taken her out.

Emma raises a quizzical brow at the extended arm before something clicks, "Have you ever taken someone on a date before?"

Regina pulls her arm back embarrassed before huffing defensively, "I've been on plenty of dates Emma"

Emma sighs at the response realising how the brunette has taken it, "I know but they took you out I'm guessing. Have you ever taken someone else out?"

At that Regina's cheeks flush red before she scowls, "No"

"Why not?"

_Because mother wouldn't allow it. Because ladies don't go out, they are escorted. Because it's so unbecoming Regina. Because, because, because. _Her mother's voice rings in her ears echoing the excuses she had heard throughout her adolescence. "I just haven't" she says with a sad sigh.

Emma frowns watching how Regina braces herself for either an argument or a rejection, she's not sure. If anything the fast-paced flickering of emotions on Regina's expressive face and in particular her eyes only draws Emma more to her. The non-answer intrigues her but she spots the downcast expression and decides to let it drop. Tonight is their first date, which means fun, excitement, story swapping and happiness, well she hopes so.

She steps forward sliding her arm through the crook of Regina's pleased when a small smile graces painted lips. "So I'm your first?" Emma asks playfully trying to lighten the mood.

"Yes" Regina admits.

"Waiting for me" Emma responds teasingly.

Regina looks up to her with a roll of the eyes, "Of course dear. Had to wait for someone special after all"

"Aw, you think I'm special?" it starts as a joke but then Emma can't help but wonder. Does Regina think that? All her life she never thought she was anything special, just Emma Swan a bored girl living in a small town. Now she's a waitress living with friends doing her drawing on the side. She doesn't feel particularly special.

Regina notices the shift from playfulness to seriousness watching how Emma frowns slightly. She tilts her head, "Of course I do" she replies and she means it. Something drew her to Emma. Something she doesn't understand just yet but she wants to figure it out. Even though it's early, even though they've just met she knows Emma is someone special.

Emma blushes shyly, "Thanks" she says quietly before clearing her throat, "So where we going?"

"A restaurant"

"What restaurant?"

"Hm I could tell you Emma but I believe you are the one who still owes me information"

"Huh?"

"You said you would finish your story when we went on our date" Regina reminds her still curious about the young blonde who intrigues her so.

Emma laughs, "But we aren't there yet" she replies cheekily.

Regina pouts only making the blonde laugh harder at the adorable petulance on her face, "Stop it!" she says poking Emma on the arm.

"Sorry, you just looked so cute" she says playfully before softly pinching the brunette's cheek. Regina looks at her stunned, no-one has done that to her since her father. She stops moving her hand to her cheek remembering how she used to run into his arms and being called his "smudge".

"Regina" a soft voice snaps her out of the memory.

"Sorry, what?"

"You okay? Should I not have done that?" Emma asks worried that she overstepped in the playful motion. After all with her friends they aren't shy about contact often hugging and play hitting like they did when they were kids, she's so used to it that she forgets that not everyone is like that.

"No it's fine, I just, it made me remember something"

"What?"

"You first"

"Do I have to?"

"Yes, you can tell me while we drive" Regina says leading the blonde to a shiny black Mercedes.

"Holy crap!" Emma exclaims looking at the expensive and clearly well-looked after car.

Regina turns with an amused raised brow, "Pardon?"

"Just, this is your car?"

"Yes" Regina replies non-plussed clearly not understanding Emma's amazement. Compared to some of her friend's cars or her mother's fleet the Mercedes is really not that flashy.

"Wow"

"Well what do you drive?"

"That" Emma says pointing to a dusty yellow Bug down the street. Regina wrinkles her nose, "You can drive that?"

"Hey!" Emma replies offended, "The Bug is amazing"

"It looks like a death-trap to me"

"That car has been with me for five years" Emma says with a frown crossing her arms. She doesn't have much. What she does have is a shared apartment, a job, her art and that car. The yellow Bug was the first thing she ever bought for herself and she loves it. It's the car that gave her her freedom. She chose yellow for her Dad since it's his favourite colour and hers too and well she's always loved the pictures of Bugs she saw in his car magazines so when the car showed up in the used car lot one day she had to have it.

Regina smiles apologetically seeing how Emma looks at the car with great care and affection. "I'm sorry Emma, I didn't mean to offend you" she winces realising that she's probably insulted one of the things Emma loves most, _great start Regina, now you've hurt her and screwed this up already_.

"It's fine" the blonde replies, "One day you'll see the greatness of the Bug" she adds already intending to get Regina into her adored car.

"One day?" the brunette asks both surprised and hopeful.

"Yeah"

"Don't you think that's jumping the gun a bit?" she asks cautiously.

Emma looks to her, "Not at all"

* * *

Emma gasps once more at seeing the restaurant Regina has picked. It's one of those fancy pants places, the kind she's always dreamed of being able to eat in but never had the money to do so.

"I hope this is okay" Regina says nervously.

"Are you kidding? This place is supposed to be great!"

"It is. We came here when my Daddy first got promoted. It was the first time we'd ever eaten in a restaurant like this" Regina replies warmly.

Emma smiles, feeling warmed and honoured that Regina would take her to a place so obviously special to her, "When my Dad got promoted at the cannery we went to this little café just outside of Storybrooke. I remember being so excited because we got to leave the town for a little bit and eat somewhere that wasn't the diner"

"The Diner?"

"Pretty much the place to eat in Storybrooke, kinda like Granny's café" Emma replies with a shrug, "Certainly nothing like this place" she adds gesturing to the 5 star restaurant in front of them.

"Do you want to go somewhere else?" Regina asks skating her teeth over her upper lip, a nervous habit she's never been able to shake.

Emma looks up, "Don't you have a reservation?"

Regina shrugs, "No"

"Really?"

"I've never needed one" the brunette admits, throughout her life she's become used to seeing her mother strut into restaurants and just demand to be seated, and being her daughter means she gets the same treatment by the restaurants in the area.

Emma looks at her stunned, she can barely get a reservation at Frankie & Benny's. "How can you not need one?"

"People know my mother" Regina explains with a small shrug.

"Oh, well knowing my mother will get you a free hot cocoa at Storybrooke's finest diner" Emma replies with a grin.

Regina smiles back feeling more at ease, "I'll remember that wh-if I ever go to Storybrooke" she blushes and Emma smiles happily at the slip pleased to hear that Regina has the same hopes she does for this being more than just one date.

"I'll treat you to a piece of pie when we go" Emma replies with a wink, "So are you going to escort me in Miss Mills?"

The brunette rolls her eyes before smiling and getting out of the car. Emma smiles watching as Regina walks around the car before opening the passenger door and offering her hand to Emma. The blonde slips her hand into Regina's and instantly feels her smile grow as tingles ripple up from their entwined hands. She's held hands with people before but none have fit like Regina's does.

Regina too has a small smile on her face as she feels Emma swing their joined hands slightly. Emma's hand in hers doesn't feel controlling or possessive, it just feels right.

They walk in hand in hand and for once Regina doesn't even notice the stares of people she knows nor does she care. She can feel Emma's hand tremble nervously at the sight in spite of her smile and aura of confidence so she squeezes the blonde's hand. "You okay?"

"Yeah there's just a lot of fancy rich people here and I'm just a waitress" Emma replies dejectedly.

Regina frowns, "Emma I may not know a lot about you but I know you are more than just a waitress. Besides if it makes you feel better you see that guy over there" she points to a man in the back. Emma squints following the pointed finger, "Is that?"

"Killian Jones"

"The model"

"Yes dear, well many years ago his family and mine went to a lake and I pushed him in"

Emma laughs, "You didn't"

"I did. He's now scared of ducks"

"Ducks?"

"There may have been a few of them in the lake"

"Why did you push him?"

"He took my lollipop" Regina replies seriously.

"Your lollipop?"

"I liked lollipops. Still do."

"I'll remember that" Emma says with a chuckle finally relaxing.

A waiter quickly guides them to a private booth near the back of the restaurant, just away from the prying eyes of people who have recognised the brunette but still with a nice view of the street through the picture window. Emma looks up smiling at the lanterns which cast a warm glow over the table and then at the vanilla candles in the centre of it creating a homey yet romantic atmosphere.

She sits down still looking around amazed at the beautiful décor and feel of this place, simple yet elegant. She can see why Regina likes this place. Emma looks up staring at how the brunette looks in this light, the soft lighting of the restaurant just makes her shine, the candlelight reflecting in deep caramel eyes making them so dazzling Emma swears she might just go blind. Eventually she shuts her mouth realising how she must look just openly gaping at the other woman, _she must think you're absolutely nuts Em_.

Regina though doesn't even notice because she's too busy admiring the blonde and how beautiful she looks under the glow of the lanterns. For a split second their eyes meet and the restaurant freezes around them. Time stops as the two women lose themselves in each other's eyes seeing a mixture of admiration, lust and awe. It's the waiter who ruins their moment snapping them from their silent reverie, "Anything to drink?" he asks.

"I'll have the Merlot" Regina replies handing him back her wine list before looking to Emma who's scanning the list in front of her in search of a name she recognises. She knows some things about wine but none of these names mean anything to her, she's more of a whiskey kind of girl. She looks up to see the waiter giving her an impatient and obviously judgemental stare and wishes for the floor to swallow her whole. She could not feel more out of her element but she won't let him see that, she merely flashes a confident smirk at him as she simply says "The same"

Once he goes Regina looks to Emma again, "So do I get to hear the rest of the tale of Emma Swan now?"

Emma chuckles, "I suppose so, where did I leave off?"

"You were born to a schoolteacher and a cannery worker" she replies without hesitation, eager to find out more.

The blonde across from her grins at the instant answer. She remembers every little thing Regina told her earlier and it's clear to her that the brunette gave her the same attention. _Special, she really does think you're special_. She looks down as the waiter brings over their wine glasses and a bottle not wanting him to hear the story of her life. Once he goes she looks up, "Okay here goes, so I was born. The Swans live in a nice little house in the suburbs of Storybrooke with an amazing garden but my favourite place as a kid was my treehouse"

"A treehouse?"

"Yeah, my Dad and I built it one weekend and I loved it because it was my place ya know? It was the place I could go to escape and draw and just dream about my future. I used to sleep there a lot too"

"Outside?"

"You've never slept outside?"

"No"

"Oh well it's beautiful"

"What makes it beautiful?"

Emma smiles thinking of the sweeping dark sky from her childhood, "The stars. I just loved looking up at them and drawing pictures in them"

"Can you show me?" Regina asks.

"Huh?"

"The stars. I want to see"

"Right now?"

"We can eat first if you'd prefer" Regina says feeling sheepish.

Emma shakes her head, "Nah, come on I'll take you to my favourite spot" she replies reaching for Regina's hand.

"Shouldn't we tell them we're going?" Regina asks unused to just slipping away.

"They'll figure it out" Emma replies with a shrug before tugging the brunette along behind her.

* * *

Regina pulls up to where Emma tells her to stop with a puzzled frown, "The park?" she asks.

"Yeah. I was drawing out here one day and I found the best stargazing place" Emma explains climbing out of the Benz before moving to help Regina out too. Regina looks around the area nervously, she's never done anything like this. Emma tugs her closer slipping an arm around her shoulders, "Don't worry, it's safe"

"I know" Regina says defensively but snuggles into Emma's hold all the same. "Can you tell me more about you while we walk?"

"Sure, there's not all that much to tell. I draw a lot. I used to play soccer in high school"

"What position?"

"Striker"

Regina rolls her eyes, "Like to score goals Emma?"

"Of course Regina" she replies with a wink, "I got average grades in high school, I was kind of more interested in drawing and hanging out with my friends though"

"I picture you as a troublemaker"

"Not always, just the usual stuff. Parties, drinking, set the school on fire once"

"What?"

"It was only a little one! We were doing a science experiment and I may have knocked over a Bunsen burner and it might have caught a lab coat."

"So you nearly burnt down the school"

"Only the science lab and they put it out"

"Still"

"My mom went mad, I had to clean the school every day for four months"

"You got off easy, my mother would probably have locked me away in my room for a year"

"Yowch. Well in the end it wasn't that bad because she also let me do the murals on the school walls. They're still there now"

"What were they?"

"I did fairy-tales"

"Fairy-tales?"

"Yeah they were my favourites when I was little. I used to make up stories in my head about what happened after the happy ending part"

"Really? Like what?"

"Like in the Three Little Pigs, I would wonder what happened next, ya know with them all living in that house together"

"That's sweet"

"Those murals are still there today"

"Of course they are, you're really talented"

"You think so?"

"Emma, that picture you gave me was amazing. I don't know how you did it but you just captured something about me that I didn't even know was in me"

Emma blushes as they keep walking across the park, "I just draw what I feel or see about things you know? I think there's a beauty in drawing in that it can show things you never knew were there"

"Why don't you do it professionally?"

Emma shrugs, "Just not in the cards I guess. I came here to New York because I thought it would provide inspiration but truthfully that drawing of you is the first thing I've finished in months"

"Really?"

"Really"

"Well thank you"

"Hey thank you, I finally feel like drawing again. Oh! Come on we're here!" Emma shouts excitedly. Regina looks over confused, "Here?" she asks looking flabbergasted at the children's playground they've stopped at.

"Here" Emma replies, "Trust me Regina" she says pleadingly before dropping her coat onto the floor and flopping down beckoning for the brunette to join her.

Regina wrinkles her nose at the thought of laying on the ground but then she looks at Emma's goofy and endearing smile, _Screw it_ she thinks throwing caution to the wind and carefully placing her coat down next to Emma's before settling down.

Emma slides her hand down to take Regina's again, "Okay so the stars, you see them right?"

"Of course" Regina says looking up at the twinkling dots scattering the dark sky.

"Okay well what do you see?"

"Stars"

"What do you see in them?"

"I don't understand"

Emma smiles at her, "Okay well you see that one there" she says gesturing up to the sky with their joined hands, "If you connect it to that one there and then go along the ones down there and then connect it to that cluster of stars you can see a tree"

Regina squints up a little following the path Emma has traced, "Oh" she gasps upon seeing the picture the blonde has drawn, "I see it" she says excitedly.

Emma grins, "Great, okay you do one"

The brunette looks up trying to find one. Emma turns her head noticing how Regina's tongue sticks out slightly as she concentrates on the stars above. _Gorgeous and cute_ she thinks watching how the other woman focuses on the stars her eyes flitting back and forth between groups of shining lights until she turns to her, excitement and pride beaming in dark eyes, "Emma I found one!"

* * *

They spend a few hours like that inching closer and closer to each other as they swap stories and star patterns until they end up wrapped in each other's arms no longer watching stars but just staring into each other's eyes.

Regina traces Emma's lips with her thumb smiling as the blonde shivers at her touch, she knows what she wants to do but does Emma want the same? She hopes she's read the look in Emma's eyes right.

_Okay Regina, she likes you. You like her. Just take a leap_.

She takes a deep breath taking one final look into the swirling pools of emerald-blue staring at her in a way that sends shivers ricocheting up and down her spine. It's a look that makes her feel beautiful and wanted. She looks back down to those sweet soft lips before gently pressing her own against them. She hums instantly addicted to the divine taste of the blonde's mouth especially when Emma wraps her arms around her back and pulls her closer. Emma deepens the kiss parting plump red lips with her tongue enjoying Regina's contented moan as the kiss grows. Electricity sparks between them as they tentatively and pleasurably explore each other's mouths.

They part only to catch their breaths. Emma looks at Regina lying so close to her that the blonde can feel the other woman's hot breath against her lips. "That was amazing" Emma whispers before going in for another gentle kiss. Regina can only nod slightly in agreement before reciprocating feeling herself drawn into the kiss. Finally after an endless number of awful set-ups and boring dates there's this, the date she dreamed of, one she enjoyed that ended in a kiss like this. A kiss that makes her feel as if her heart is fluttering in her chest and like she's found something she didn't even know she was searching for.

Emma loses herself in this beautiful moment, enjoying the way Regina fits against her body and how tanned hands cup her cheeks as they kiss. The kiss itself she cannot sum up in words, amazing was all she could come up with and yet it doesn't do it justice. It feels like falling into a heavenly abyss. She knows she needs more of this.

Her stomach rumbles rudely interrupting the moment and Emma blushes as Regina leans up and stifles a chuckle at the noise, "Hungry?" she asks teasingly.

Emma nods, "Yeah I know somewhere we can get food"

"Really? All the restaurants will be closing by now"

Regina smiles as Emma leads her to the source of food, a 24/7 Drive-thru McDonalds. She drives the car through the window as they quickly order their meals after which they drive back to the park taking up residence on a bench. Regina leans into Emma's shoulder as she holds up her Diet Coke,

"To the beginning"

"The beginning" Emma replies knocking her take-out cup against Regina's.

_Always happy to hear what you think. Thank you very much for reading :)_


	4. Chapter 4

_Hi again, sorry for the delay between updates, am writing as fast as I can! Thank you all for the reviews, follows and favourites so far. Apologies for any mistakes. Hope you enjoy :)_

Regina wakes up to the thoroughly unwelcome sound of her alarm clock the following morning. She groans switching off the contraption rubbing her eyes. After her date with Emma she didn't actually get in until two o'clock this morning. A smile graces her lips as she remembers the date and thinks of the kiss and the ones that followed. Were she not sure before the date that Emma was someone special for her then that kiss cemented it. They've not known each other long but for once in her life Regina finds herself thoroughly entranced by another person. She's heard of this kind of attraction before from her friends or people who had met their soulmate. They had spoken to her of an almost magnetic attraction to a person which would only keep growing the more you were near them. They said that you would be so drawn to that person because they were your missing piece, the thing you had been searching for your entire life.

Growing up Regina had never believed such stories. Her childhood was full of her mother's plans and carefully selected dates. Her mother cared not for soulmates or perfect matches, just social standing and business deals. Isolated and groomed for perfection, Regina grew up to stop believing in soulmates and finding her person. Until yesterday when she walked into a coffee shop and came face to face with Emma Swan.

She flops back down onto her pillow with a grin on her face as she thinks about Emma, of how carefree and truly happy she felt while with the young woman. Her fingers trail up to lipstick smudged lips remembering the buzz and warmth of kisses placed upon them and the way arms wrapped around her as she melted into the kiss. All her life she was steered away from temptation and kept away from anything that Cora Mills deemed as 'leading her to stray away from the path of greatness' but now after a chance meeting in a coffee shop and a date she'll never forget, Regina can honestly say for the first time she's been tempted and god did giving in feel wonderful.

Her phone rings again interrupting her peaceful, joyful remembrance of her date with Emma and she sighs knowing her work awaits her. She sits up slowly before reaching for her phone, "Hello"

"Regina dear" the brunette bites back a groan at hearing her mother's voice. She fumbles for her alarm clock to catch the time, half 7. _Shit!_ Her meeting with Spencer is at 9. If she's lucky her mother will be quick. "Good morning mother" she replies impatiently.

"What happened last night?"

"What?"

"Excuse me Regina? A lady does not say what like some common riffraff"

Regina rolls her eyes, "Sorry mother, I beg your pardon?"

"I got a phone call from Mrs Jones, apparently her son says you and a blonde leave Antonio's Bistro without even bothering to eat. I mean really dear what were you thinking?"

_I was having fun_, "I don't know mother"

"You must think of your image dear"

"I know mother"

"I mean really, did you even think about how this makes our family look?" _I was wondering when she'd get to that_, Regina thinks internally groaning at the inevitable mention of upholding the family name. She doesn't reply instead letting her mother get on with it, "Honestly running out of the restaurant like that, what a disgrace! Not to mention how it must have looked to Antonio himself, did you even bother to greet him? I imagine not." In fact she had called him earlier in the day to discuss another lunch meeting she wanted to hold there later in the week, she makes a mental note to phone and apologise. He has after all always been good to her. "Putting that aside you're supposed to be focussing on your work not gallivanting around the town acting like some foolish teenage miscreant"

"Mother, I simply decided I'd rather dine elsewhere"

"That is beside the point Regina!" her mother snaps, "Do you even bother to think about how your actions reflect on you? On your family? After all we have a reputation to uphold!"

Regina sighs, "There are more important things"

She hears her mother sigh exasperatedly before tutting, "Like what?"

She won't understand, Regina knows that. Her life is full of power plays and negotiation, her cares are not about love in regards to her daughter but rather for her career. "Nevermind mother" she says dejectedly.

"You can't just do whatever you want Regina. You are the CEO of a company for Christ's sake!"

"I know mother and I have a meeting at 9 which I really need to get ready for" Regina replies dejectedly rubbing at her temples. She really didn't need this first thing in the morning but she should have known that somehow word of her escapade with Emma would have reached her mother. After all Cora does seem to have eyes everywhere. _Well except the cafe _she thinks with a small smile.

"This isn't over dear" her mother warns.

"I expected as much" Regina snaps tersely already bored of this conversation. All she did was go out with someone she actually likes, have the most mind-blowingly amazing kiss of her life and enjoy herself, is that really so terrible? She sighs wishing she could share these things with her mother, to tell her of her happiness and hope rather than waking up to a critique of her social etiquette.

* * *

Across town Emma ignores her alarm instead choosing to remain in her dream where she continues to relive her date. She's just got to them snuggling together on a bench and eating McDonalds and there's no way she's letting her alarm ruin that. A warm giddy smile lingers on her face as she envisions her and Regina eating French Fries and drawing pictures in the stars, two things she never imagined Regina would do when she first saw her. When the woman walked into Granny's yesterday Emma was captivated her, she imagined she would just be like all the other business types who came in acting all superior and fancy or simply sending their assistants in to do the errand for them. Instead she was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful woman who simply wanted to get away for a while. Their talk came easy and actually underneath the business wear and perfect image there's a woman Emma wants, no needs, to see more of. A woman who will flee from restaurants and go to a park instead to make her happy, one who she feels carefree and at ease with already. Her smile grows as she brings their kiss to her mind. She's kissed people before but nothing and no-one compares to what she felt last night.

She groans as she feels someone shaking her awake, "No" she mumbles burying her face in her pillow so she can stay with Regina in her dream world.

"Ems you have to wake up now" Mary's chirpy voice rings in her ear as her friend shakes her once more.

Emma groggily raises her head from the comfort of her pillow, "Why?" she whines.

The petite brunette stares at her before looking at her friend's now crumpled dress, "Oh Emma did you sleep in that?" she asks appalled.

Emma looks down before laughing at Mary's reaction, "Relax M&M it'll be fine"

"A dress like that needs to be looked after"

"And it will be once I change"

"I'm guessing you got in late"

"Yep" Emma replies with a broad grin as she pictures Regina. She wonders if Regina woke up as happy as she just did. She hopes so anyway. It feels weird to her, to feel this connected to someone so soon, to be so concerned with another's happiness and hoping to be the one causing their joy, it feels weird but right all at once. Emma swipes her tongue over her lips still tasting the phantom of Regina's lips against her own. Her heart still hums from the feeling she had when that kiss happened.

Mary Margaret smiles at her friend's expression, "I know that look"

"It's not what you think"

"So you didn't sleep with her?"

"We just kissed but M&M, this kiss it was, it was something else"

"Yeah?"

"Like the best kiss ever. It just felt amazing"

Her friend laughs happily, "Emma you're smitten"

"I'm smote. So why did you wake me up when I'd rather be dreaming"

"Because if you stay asleep how will you make your dreams come true?" Mary asks with a small smile. Emma rolls her eyes, the statement was cheesy yet true, "Really M&M?"

"Hey it's true, if you stay asleep how will you chase after the one and only Regina Mills?"

Emma looks up with a frown, "Why do you call her that?"

Her friend gives her a knowing look, "Because she's Regina Mills. Em, she's a big deal"

"I know she is but not for the reason you think" Emma replies. All of her friends keep calling Regina _the _Regina Mills and frankly it bothers her. To Emma, the other woman is more than just her name, more than an image, she's someone whose head fits perfectly on her shoulders, she's a woman who finds joy in the simplest of things that she's been denied, she's her new inspiration.

Mary again just smiles her seeing the beginnings of love stirring in her friend, she knows it'll be some time before Emma will admit it. She knows how stubborn the blonde is, too headstrong for her own good at times, but love can overcome much. She just hopes Emma understands what she's found, that she'll go after this glimpse of something special even if she doesn't recognise just what she's stumbled into. She taps her friend on the knee, "She's special isn't she?"

Emma looks up at her thinking about the woman she only wants to know more about, Regina who captivated her the moment she stepped foot into Granny's and brought something unknown yet more than needed into her life, "Yeah she's special"

"Don't screw it up" her friend warns, "Now I woke you for two reasons, one we have to be at work soon and two your Mom's on the phone"

"My Mom?"

"Yeah apparently you said you would call her"

"Did I? Oh shit yeah I'll be out in a sec, just let me get dressed"

"What should I tell your Mom?"

"That I'm getting dressed" Emma calls hurrying into her closet and then into the bathroom for a quick shower.

A few minutes later she heads out into the kitchen hurriedly tying her hair up into a messy bun before grabbing the phone from her friend's hand, "Thanks for stalling" she whispers before bringing the landline up to her ear. Her mother refuses to call her cell, she always says a home phone is more personal, a cell is transient whereas a landline is fixed according to Anna Swan.

"Hey Mom" she greets cheerily.

"Hi Emma, I tried to call you last night but you didn't answer. Are you alright? Did you go out?" she can hear the hope and worry in her mother's voice. A few years ago she'd have rolled her eyes and brushed off her mom's concern, now though that she lives in New York she smiles when her Mom calls because it reminds her that no matter how far she travels her family loves and cares for her.

"Yeah Mom I'm fine and I had a date" she says coyly.

"A date?!" her mother squeals before hesitantly adding, "Not another pick up at a bar"

"Nope, a full blown actual date" Emma says with a grin. She can see her friends craning their heads from the living room to try and "accidentally" overhear any details about her date. She rolls her eyes wondering how long it will be until one of them wanders into the kitchen looking for something.

"Oh Emma that's wonderful, how was it?"

"It was amazing Mom. This one, she was really special."

She can practically hear her Mom beaming in excitement at the prospect of her daughter settling down, "Will you see her again?"

Emma chews her lip, she and Regina never actually set a second date. It was more of an unspoken agreement that they both knew more would come. Neither one of them wanted to be the one to end the date hence why they were out until two am. She smiles again as she remembers kissing the brunette outside the block of flats, their lips meeting in a silent promise to see each other again. "I plan to Mom"

"That's great Em, really great. Remember sweetheart never let love or happiness slip from your grasp"

"I won't Mom"

"I love you Emmy Bear"

Emma internally groans at the nickname bestowed upon her twenty-one years ago, "I love you too Mom"

She hangs up the phone with a click before turning to see her friends nearly hanging off the chair in their attempts to eavesdrop.

"So" Ashley begins with a pleading smile, "How was it? What was she like?"

"Come on Ems, give us the details" Ruby adds with a wide grin.

Emma looks at them all in turn, "Isn't it time we were going to work?"

"Emma!" three voices shout and she spins on her booted heels, "What?" she asks with a cheeky smirk.

"How was your date?" Ruby asks.

"You can't just leave us hanging Emma" Ashley says, "You go out with _Regina Mills_ and disappear all night, details please"

She smiles at them all before quickly running out the door just about catching the shout of "Emma!" as the door swings shut.

* * *

_Come on hurry up!_ Regina pleads in her head as she stands in the cramped subway praying for train to go faster. She know she's running late, how late though is up to this train and people traffic. Once more she looks down to her phone clock, 8:58. She has two minutes until her meeting. Finally the train pulls to a stop and the doors open. The brunette flies from the train and runs up the stairs and into the street. She's never been this late to the office before. Then again she's never had a reason to be out so late before. Although she knows Spencer will be angered, no doubt about that one, she has no regrets about her lateness, the joy she felt while with Emma is more than worth one bad meeting.

She runs up onto a public street before running through the throng of pedestrians. _If mother could see me now_ she thinks with an amused smile as she tears down the blocks that lead to her building.

The tall glass shines in front of and she smiles relieved. It is in that moment that her heel chooses to snap sending her tumbling to the ground. _Shit_ she thinks before hurriedly snapping the heel off of her other shoe and resuming her run. Ignoring the pain in her ankle she runs towards her building smiling again as she spots a small coffee shop. Oh how she longs to blow off this meeting and just grab coffee, but alas she cannot because if she doesn't meet with Spencer when he calls she knows she is toast as CEO. And as much as she complains about it, the isolation and the loneliness it brings her, she loves her job and her magazine.

She pauses outside the building to catch her breath and to fulfil her morning ritual – looking at the picture outside their door, a framed copy of their very first issue from 1993. The first one she read and the one that filled her head with dreams of fashion and magazines.

Regina hurriedly uses the glass of the building to fix her hair so she doesn't look dishevelled and quickly rearranges her blazer. She may be wearing broken shoes but she'll still look on the top of her game. She raises her head high as the workers look at her shocked at seeing her appear so late when they know Albert Spencer is in the building. She can stunned whispers follow her path through the offices but she shrugs them off. None of them know her. None of them care enough to try and know. Today their words and stares bounce off of her because she still feels the rush of hope and joy from last night.

She struts into her office in a well-practiced power walk before schooling her face into a polite smile at seeing an irritated bore across in the chair across from her desk, his cold eyes fixed on the clock on the wall.

"Sorry I'm late Mr Spencer" she says politely, "Train trouble" she explains as she seats herself in her chair slouching slightly in the casual way that has always bothered him and the employees, none of them understanding how she can look so comfortable in a chair that screams power.

He gives her a stern look, "Well at least you have graced me with your presence now"

Regina nods, "What can I do for you today Mr Spencer? I do hope I haven't wasted too much of your valuable time" she holds back the sarcasm that she wishes she could attach to that statement. It won't do to irritate him any further not when he owns the magazine and could do what he wants with it. Besides she knows flattering his ego never hurts. At the very least it keeps him, and by extension her mother happy, even if it does make her stomach churn.

He smiles, "Not at all my dear. First of all I saw the latest issue, I assume it will be out soon?"

"If all goes well with the publishers it will be out on Friday"

"Excellent, what are your plans for the next issue?"

* * *

Emma wipes up the counter with a contented smile as she moves back to her latest drawing, of her and Regina on the bench in the park. So far she's just sketched the outline of two figures on a park bench staring up at the sky, it'll be them once she finishes it. Ruby saunters over just as she skates her pencil over the fine line of Regina's jawbone. She draws from memory, picturing the soft skin she held in her hands and the smooth curve of a cheek ending at the delicate shell of an ear she had caressed with her thumb.

"You're drawing again" she states flicking her thumb at the pad beneath Emma's hands.

"Yep" Emma replies sticking her pencil behind her ear and looking up at her friend.

"Guess you have something to draw now huh?"

Emma smiles, her grin stretching from ear to ear, "That I do"

"Must have been one hell of a date"

"It was a date with me Rubes" Emma replies with a cheeky wink. Her friend nudges her elbow, "Cut that bravado crap Ems. It's me, how was it?"

Emma looks down before looking back up at her best friend knowing she doesn't need to pretend with Ruby or any of her friends. Sometimes she does purely because cockiness is a good cover for the fear that gnawed at her. Bravado gave her the courage to go after what she wanted. She's always known that the important people have seen through the act, her parents do, her friends do and last night Regina did.

"It was better than I could have imagined it being Ruby"

"What happened?"

"Well we went to Antonio's Bistro"

"No way?!" Ruby asks with a gasp, "Ems no-one can get in there"

"Well apparently Regina and her family have been going there for ages and ages and it's really important to her but we left there pretty quickly"

"Really? It was Antonio's! Where could you have gone that was better than that?"

Emma smiles, "We went to the park and watched the stars"

Ruby looks at her in confusion, "That's it?"

Emma shakes her head at Ruby. The magic of the date for her lied in the simplicity of it, in the things she learned about Regina like the way her tongue sticks out slightly when she concentrates or that her favourite thing to try and draw in the stars were horses, "We also had McDonalds and kissed"

"Oh, good kisser?"

Emma smiles wider then closing her eyes as she envisions the kiss again, "The best"

"Good for you Em. You going to see her again?"

"I hope so"

"You hope so?"

"I kind of don't have her number"

"What?"

"Well we didn't really exchange them, I just told her where I lived and she picked me up. So I'm just hoping she comes by here again"

Ruby shakes her head at her friend, "Emma, you know where she works right?" Emma nods. "Then send her something and attach your number"

Emma grins, "Thanks Rubes"

"Do you know what you'll send her?"

Emma nods with a small smile as she remembers something Regina told her last night, "Yep, can you cover while I take my lunch break?"

* * *

After lunch with her publishers which mercifully went well, Regina trudges up the stairs feeling the pain from her broken heels. Her meeting with Spencer could not have gone much worse. He pushed up her deadline for the budget to the following week instead of two weeks now because he was planning on doing a "reshuffle" which is never good news. He also condemned her for her lateness adding in several sly comments about how he hoped she was more efficient at running his magazine than her own personal life. Add to that multiple comments about the importance of time management and she was just about ready to boot him from her office. But no she had to sit down and discuss the performance of all the departments and listen to his comments on how she could improve the company. She doodled absently during that part, were he actually involved in the magazine rather than just doing a monthly drop-in she would pay more attention, as it stands the departments meet her own standards for quality and continue to produce what she considers to be an excellent magazine so she sees no need to make unnecessary changes. She nodded in the right places making note of anything that was actually applicable or vital. Following that was the typical subtle hint about his son who according to him was still single and would make a fine date. Regina, however would rather impale herself on her broken heels than suffer through a date with the arrogant pig-headed self-entitled nightmare that is James Spencer.

The only good thing about her rushed lunch with the publishers was that they nailed down the new deadline dates and printing dates so that the new copies of _NYStyle_ would be released on the dates she wanted. She also organised with them a revised date for their annual Christmas edition which she knows she'll have to start thinking about soon. She has a few ideas beginning to form but they need work.

Regina rubs her forehead, feeling a pang of hunger in her stomach after only having a meagre salad for lunch and skipping breakfast. She walks into her office ignoring her assistant and falls down into her chair resting her head on the desk. She groans internally as she hears footsteps approaching her before stopping across from her. She doesn't bother to raise her head, "What is it Sidney?"

He clears his throat awkwardly, "A blonde waitress dropped this off for you" he says 'blonde waitress' with a sneer and she frowns at his tone before finally lifting her head and looking at the object in his hands with a warm smile, "Set it down Sidney and her name is Emma" she corrects with a warning tone. He gulps before nodding, "My apologies Miss Mills"

"Noted, leave me"

She looks down at the polka-dot mug of Chupa Chups lollipops in front of her with a grin. Regina leans over before looking at the note attached with a string on the handle. She unfurls it to see a string of digits at the top and chuckles to herself, _I finally have her number_ she thinks with a warm smile before reading the rest of the note:

_Hey Regina, _

_I realised I didn't have your number so here's mine. Our date was awesomesauce (well at least I hope you think so too!) and I'd love to see you again. You know where to find me. Simply exchange this mug for free coffee and Hey Presto! Date number two :) _

_Hope I see you soon_

_Emma_

_P.S. If anyone tries to steal these lollipops I'll push them in a lake for you ;) _

At the bottom is a small doodle of them both pushing a highly accurate image of Killian Jones into a duck-pond. Regina grins at the image and the note which have brightened her day considerably. She grabs her bag and immediately adds the note into her dayplanner so as to keep it safe. Regina looks down at the mug before grabbing Cherry lollipop and sticking it in her mouth touched that Emma remembered such a small detail about her. Very few people in her life have bothered to learn, let alone remember, the little things about her. The fact that Emma does speaks volumes to her.

She grabs her mug before pouring the lollipops into her purse. She slings it over her shoulder and exits the office, "Sidney I'm going home for the day. I'm feeling unwell, send my apologies to Kathryn and tell her I shall call her later"

He nods, "Okay Miss Mills. Feel better" he calls.

"Thank you Sidney" she says with a genuine smile before taking her leave and heading out to a certain café.

_I made Spencer the owner for Ugly Betty based reasons. I hope you enjoyed it. Always happy to hear what you think. Thank you very much for reading :)_


	5. Chapter 5

_Again sorry this took so long, am writing as fast as I can between uni work. Thanks for bearing with me and for all the reviews, favourites and follows so far. Apologies for any mistakes. Hope you all enjoy :)_

Emma runs back into the café knowing she's pushed her lunch break time to the max, hopefully they weren't too busy while she was out buying every lollipop she could find on the block. She slides in through the door to the café to find it mercifully empty. Ruby is hurriedly wiping tables in anticipation for the incoming rush of people on their lunch breaks and gives her a frantic look.

"Thank god you're back! Where did you go?"

"Sorry Rubes, it took longer than I thought" Emma says in a pleading apology to her friend. She makes a note of all the cluttered tables and chews her lip guiltily. She walks over taking the towel from Ruby, "Hey let me take care of all this, you go take your break"

"You sure Ems? It's about to get busy" she says looking up at the clock.

Emma follows her gaze knowing how busy it's about to get in here, "I'm sure, besides I owe ya for covering for me"

"Hey anytime Emma, did you get what you needed?"

Emma smiles thinking of her gift to Regina. _I wonder if she got it yet_. Her grin grows wider when she thinks of the thoroughly shocked look on Regina's assistant's face at her presence in such an office. Emma will admit that when she found Regina's building she was a little hesitant, she'd never been inside an office place that fancy before and she knew she stuck out like a sore thumb but she summoned up her courage and went in anyway. She got a lot of stares and whispers as she walked through the office space and even the dismissive disapproving look of the receptionist was worth it if her gift brightened up Regina's day. "Yeah" she answers her friend, "Now let's hope it pays off" she adds in a quieter voice.

Ruby looks over at her friend as Emma chews her lip. She saunters over before pulling her friend in for a reassuring hug, "I'm sure it will Emma. Good luck with the lunch rush" she says over her shoulder as she whips her apron off and sees her girlfriend coming through the door.

Emma smiles as Belle walks in searching out Ruby. "Thanks Ruby, go enjoy your lunch date" she says as Ruby scampers over to her girlfriend. She watches them hug before kissing sweetly and immediately thinks of Regina. _Maybe one day we'll have a lunch date too_ she thinks wistfully as she daydreams about Regina coming through that door and whisking her away. Except not today because she has a lunch rush to prepare for and a café to clean.

* * *

Regina exits her building silently praying she kept spare shoes in her office as she carefully places her mug in her bag to prevent it from harm. As she pushes through the door a hand slots through her arm and she blinks in surprise before smiling at her friend, "Kathryn" she greets cheerfully.

Her friend smiles at her before looking at her dishevelled friend, "What the heck happened to you?"

Regina looks down at her broken heels and purplish ankle and shrugs, "A rough morning"

"I'll say, so where are you going?"

"Home" she says evasively.

Kathryn simply looks at her knowing when the other woman is lying to her, "Regina"

"What?"

"Did you really think I'd buy that? I've known you ten years"

"It was worth a shot"

"Now spill, this is the second day in a row you're skipping out on work so I know this person is pretty special. Is it the waitress that came to your office?"

Regina looks to her in surprise, "How do you know about that?"

"Gossip travels fast and well the appearance of a strange woman in your office, that news came to me at record speed."

"Is it really that strange that I receive a cute visitor every now and then?"

"Ah so you admit you think she's cute?"

Regina groans at her slip as they walk down the street, "Yes she's cute" she admits though the word really does not do Emma justice. She looks at the time, just past 1, she wonders briefly if Emma will be too busy to see her what with the lunch rush the café must get. _I'll wait_ she thinks knowing she wants to thank Emma for such a thoughtful gift and to claim her free coffee.

"Tell me more Regina. Please. How often do we get to talk about someone you're dating?"

"Often"

"I'm not talking about set ups. I'm talking about people _you_ want to date"

"How do you know I do?" Regina asks teasingly.

Kathryn smiles at her shaking her head, "One, the utterly lovestruck look that has been on your face the entire time we've been talking about her, two, how happy you were this morning and three, you're skipping work for the second time in two days which is unheard of for you"

Regina smiles at her friend's logic, "Okay fine, I like her. Her name is Emma"

"And you're going to see her now?"

"Hopefully" Regina says chewing on her lip as she stares across the street at the café. Through the window she can already see a large crowd of people and Emma milling from table to table with practiced ease.

Kathryn looks at her friend, noting the warm and hopeful expression on her face as she gazes upon the mysterious blonde. She shakes her head, wondering why on earth Regina tried to keep her affection a secret when to her, to everyone and she imagines to blind martians it is obvious she has fallen head over heels for the blonde waitress. She gives her friend a quick hug to reassure her, "Good luck Regina and tomorrow I expect details"

"I'll call you tonight" Regina promises.

"We'll see" Kathryn replies with a wink.

* * *

Emma rushes between the tables shooting quick smiles at the regulars that she knows before running back to the kitchen to get more meals to take out. She's already looking forward to the moment all these people leave and she can rest her aching feet. Going from running between stores to running between tables is not exactly beneficial to one's feet. After quickly placing down two BLTs for a young couple at one of the window tables she runs back to grab her coffee pot having seen people raising their mugs for refills already. She never thought she'd be glad for Granny's Diner but now having worked in New York where there are infinitely more people she's grateful for having had experience at waitressing. It may be hard work at times but it saves her from having to go back to Storybrooke.

She walks between the tables filling raised mugs with a pleasant smile as she goes knowing the importance of a smile when it comes to service. Once that's done she takes a rapid scan of the café seeing everyone either happily eating or drinking. _Thank god_ she thinks with a relieved sigh grateful for the moment to rest her feet. She sits down behind the counter before grabbing her sketch pad, since coming back from her break she hasn't had a second to draw but busy hopefully translates to good tips.

Just as she picks up her pencil the bell over the door chimes and she groans before plastering on a polite smile. Her fake smile instantly transforms into a wide genuine one at the sight of a familiar brunette. She drops her pencil and walks over to Regina who's clearly searching for her.

"Hey Regina" she says before pulling the woman in for a soft kiss. That, she's wanted to do since the other woman dropped her off last night. _Damn_ she thinks as Regina kisses her back sweetly and rests her hands on Emma's back. She hears a familiar sounding wolf whistle signalling the return of Ruby but she couldn't care less. She kisses Regina once more before pulling back to see the beautiful smile of the other woman.

"Thank you for my gift" she says with a shy smile as she pulls out her new mug.

"So you liked it?" Emma asks hopefully as she nervously wrings her hands together.

"I loved it" Regina replies before hugging the blonde in gratitude, "It really just made my day Emma, you have no idea"

"Bad morning?" Emma asks with a chuckle before looking over at the slightly dishevelled woman before her. She trails down the messy clothing before noticing a purpling ankle and broken heel, "Whoa what happened to you?"

"The trains happened to me" Regina groans as Emma walks her over to a bar stool and reaching for her new mug, "What happened to the lollipops? Eat 'em already?" she asks cheekily.

Regina glares at her before rolling her eyes, "They are hidden in a safe location"

Emma laughs, "I'm sure, let me fill this up for you". She can tell the other woman needs it, even though in a mildly dishevelled state she still looks insanely gorgeous. She hands the mug to Regina who takes it gratefully. She takes a whiff of the beverage enjoying the warmth of it before taking a sip. She smiles, though she's not certain if that's because of the drink or the woman who has supplied it. "Thank you" she says gratefully knowing she made the right decision in coming here.

Emma's about to sit down and talk to her when she sees another customer trying to get her attention. She frowns apologetically at Regina, "Do you mind sitting here for a bit?" she asks whilst chewing on her lip. _Please don't leave_ she thinks.

Regina smiles at her seeing the pleading look behind the confident exterior, "No sure, you're busy, go work." She says before sipping her coffee. Emma smiles at her once more before rushing off to serve her customers. Regina turns watching Emma work, watching the sway of her hips as she runs between the tables, watching the upturn of her smile as she greets and chats with her customers, watching the slight bounce of her breasts as she glides around the café, hm she thinks with a smile as she imagines that body pressed up against her in the park or how she imagined it later on last night. She sips her coffee quickly averting her gaze to try and tamp down the arousal she feels at watching the younger woman's supple form move throughout the café.

"So you must be Regina" a voice snaps her from her observations and she turns to face a woman who must be around Emma's age, a brunette with a red streak in her hair and toying her pencil in her mouth.

"I am" Regina says vaguely recognising them from Emma's apartment, "And who are you?"

"Oh I'm Ruby" she says sticking out her hand for Regina to take. She shakes it quickly, "Hi Ruby" she says awkwardly.

"So Regina how do you feel about Emma?"

"And why should I tell you?" Regina asks. Her feelings are private, to be shared with her friends and Emma who she just felt connected to. Otherwise she's not good at letting people in, she was taught privacy, to keep herself mysterious and strong. For the most part she has done but what her mother never taught her was the ramifications of such a lifestyle, the loneliness of not letting people in or feeling too scared to. It's why meeting Emma was so refreshing, she finally found someone who she felt she could talk to and who would actually listen to her. Her instincts about Emma were proved correct by the gift she gave her, it proved two things to her, one, that Emma cares about her and two that Emma listened to her.

Ruby frowns at her, "Well I'm Emma's best friend and I care about her and I want to make sure whoever put that smile on her face is going to make her happy" she explains whilst pointing to a grinning Emma.

Regina nods at the statement following Ruby's fingers until her eyes land on a smiling Emma. A smile that does funny things to her heart, a smile that when Emma catches her gaze and waves at her makes her heart flutter and makes her smile back. Ruby watches the silent exchange with a knowing grin as she sees the two share the same happy little smile.

"So you like her" Ruby declares.

"Yes I like her" Regina says, her eyes still fixed on Emma.

"So do I get to know anything about the mysterious Regina Mills?" Ruby asks wanting to know more about the woman, the only woman, that Emma has connected with so fast.

"My middle name is Maria and I'm allergic to peanuts" Regina says offering up the most mundane details she can think of.

Ruby frowns poutily at her, "I was hoping for something more than that like what's it like running a magazine or what are you and Emma going to do next?" she asks hoping for details she knows her friend isn't going to dish out.

Emma slides over to them carrying a stack of empty plates, "Ruby can you take them to the kitchen for me please?" she asks before practically throwing the dishes into Ruby's arms, a silent plea for her to stop whatever interrogation she may have started.

"So Regina Maria Mills huh?" she asks with a smile.

"Yep, my mother chose my first name and my father picked my middle name. She picked Regina because it means Queen and she felt I would be destined for great things. My father chose Maria because it means 'Wished-for-child' and all he ever wanted was a baby" she explains with a small smile remembering how her daddy used to call her his little wish come true.

Emma takes in the small sad yet somehow happy smile, doing her best to commit every detail to memory for later. She frowns as a tear rolls down Regina's cheek and quickly wipes it away, "Hey everything okay?"

Regina shakes her head but leans into Emma's touch, "I was just thinking about my Dad. I think he would have liked you"

"You think?"

Regina nods, "I do"

"Why?"

"Because you make me feel happy" Regina explains with a small smile as she leans it to capture Emma's lips once more. Emma smiles into the kiss cupping the other woman's cheeks as she rests her bare knee against the stool, it just making contact with a skirted thigh. Regina feels goosebumps run up and down her leg at the close contact but instead of pushing away like she would have done with one of her set-ups or someone else she leans wanting more of Emma.

A throat clear makes them pull apart briefly with Emma keeping her arms wrapped around Regina, "Sorry Rubes"

"No biggie to me Ems but we do still have a lunch rush to clean up after"

Emma groans placing one final kiss onto lipstick smudged lips, "Wait for me" she says in a dramatic voice. Regina laughs, the sound like music to Emma's ears, as she calls out "As long as I can have more coffee"

Emma pours her another cup before giving Ruby a stern look, "I'll help you clean up but no more sneak interrogations" she warns.

Ruby laughs at her, "Hey just looking out for you little Swan" she says. Emma rolls her eyes at the nickname her friends bestowed upon her in the first grade due to her height, well lack of.

"Little Swan?" Regina asks and Emma blushes. "I was kinda short" she says.

"Tiny" Ruby replies, "Adorably tiny, you should see the pictures"

"Pictures?" Regina asks with a raised brow.

"Oh yeah we have some back at the apartment, you should come by when Emma's finished here" Ruby suggests before smiling at Emma. The blonde in return mouths "I'll get you for this" as she gathers up some more dishes.

"Sure" Regina replies and Emma groans, "Do you know what you just got yourself in for?"

"Meeting your friends?" Regina asks curiously? She has after all never gone through this part of dating given everyone she's ever gone out with, she either knew or knew of them. So this to her is new, "Did I do something wrong?" she asks with a frown which Emma finds adorable. "No, just you saw how nosy Ruby was"

"Hey!" her friend objects but is silenced by a knowing look from the two other women.

"She wasn't too bad" Regina says, in all fairness Kathryn would have asked much more invasive questions to Emma and a greater number of them to try and get the goods on her.

"Well wait until after work, with three of them and wine" Emma says knowing that their evening is going to be one part interrogation and probably three parts embarrass the crap out of Emma for her friends.

"Can't wait" Regina says with a confident smile which belies her newfound nervousness at the prospect of meeting Emma's friends.

Emma tilts her head at Regina before kissing her on the cheek, "I'm sure they'll like you Regina"

"And if they don't?" Regina asks knowing she's not exactly great at meeting people, she's well practiced in meeting new business connections or people important to her mother but this is different. This is just being friendly, being social for want rather than an agenda. She just hopes she doesn't screw it up.

Emma looks at her stunned that this unbelievable woman could think that someone wouldn't like her. She hugs her again, "Trust me they'll like you" she says confidently knowing her friends will be probably be so surprised that she had brought someone up to the apartment for a change that they'll know Regina is special.

Regina smiles up at her, "So I'm meeting your friends and we've only been on two dates"

"Two?" Emma asks with a confused frown.

"The park and now today"

"Does this count?"

"I'm counting it" Regina says with a wink which Emma notices with a growing smile, "Got some kind of three date rule there Miss Mills?"

"A lady never tells" Regina replies with a smirk before she pulls out another lollipop and begins sucking on it causing Emma's mouth to drop. _Oh if I could be that lollipop_ she thinks as she just about manages to keep hold of the towel in her hands.

"Well our next date will take place in a restaurant" Emma says, "And without what looks like a sprained ankle, seriously do you want some ice for that?" she asks bending down to look at it.

"It's fine Emma" Regina says. It hurts but now she's sitting rather than attempting to walk on it, it's really not so bad. Emma gives her a concerned look before gently prodding the bruised area. "Ow!" she yelps before clutching at the sore ankle, "Why did you do that?" she asks with a pout.

"It hurts right? You need ice" Emma says with a cocky smirk. She runs through to the kitchen turning to blow a kiss at the other woman. The action is just adorable enough to melt the scowl on Regina's face.

Ruby laughs at her friend before following her into the kitchen, "You really are smote aren't you? MM said you were but I just thought maybe she was just being MM but no you really are smitten with this woman"

"I am but don't make a big deal Rubes. I don't want to scare her off or something"

Ruby just looks at her, "Emma do you really think we'd scare her off? You obviously care about her, we're not gonna screw that up"

"So you aren't going to embarrass me?"

Ruby laughs at her, "I said we wouldn't make a big deal, I didn't say we wouldn't tell her little Emma stories"

"Rubes don't!" she pleads.

"Have to"

"You don't"

"Purlease how often do we get to talk to someone you're interested in Emma? Let us get to know her"

"Fine just not please don't tell the boat story"

"Oh but that's one of the best!" Ruby whines.

"Please Ruby. Please, just promise me not the boat story. You can tell her anything else just not that" Emma pleads.

Ruby sighs, "Fine we won't tell the boat story, here's your ice, go tend to your woman"

"I don't think she's really anyone's woman Ruby"

"Fine go tend to your whatever she is"

"Regina" Emma says reverently before practically skipping out the door. _Not her woman my arse_ Ruby thinks as she returns to her dishes.

* * *

Once her shift is over Emma walks over to Regina who is sucking on another Chupa Chups lollipop and being handed her clean coffee mug by Ruby.

"How many of those have you had?" Emma asks.

Regina raises five fingers with a grin and Emma laughs at her, "Five? That all?"

"Hey I've got to make these last" Regina says in her defence. "Plus I've been having them in between coffee"

"How many cups of coffee did you have?"

"Six" Regina declares to which Emma looks at her stunned before turning to Ruby who confirms it. "Regina you're going to be up all night"

"I know. Ruby told me she has lots of stories to tell me about you Miss Emma Swan" she says with a coffee/lollipop buzzed grin as she pokes Emma on the nose.

"She did?" Emma asks with a warning glare at her friend.

"I told her nothing. Figured I'd save some until tonight"

"Yep I'm going to find out all about Emma" Regina declares with a broad smile.

Emma chuckles at the obviously slightly hyper woman who reaches for another lollipop until Emma stops her, "Save some for later, let's pick up some real food first and then head over to mine"

"Lollipops are real food" Regina states as she attempts to stand before wincing at the sharp pain that goes through her ankle.

"Are you sure you don't want me to take you to the hospital?" Emma asks worriedly.

"No it's fine. I've had worse falling off of horses" Regina replies. During her teen years she had plenty of mild falls resulting in sprains or broken arms.

"You ride horses?"

"I used to"

"Why don't you now?"

"I guess I just got too busy" Regina answers. Truthfully she misses it. It's been over a year since she last had the time to go riding. "Have you ever been?"

"Me? No" Emma replies quickly.

"I'll have to take you sometime"

"I'll watch but I'm not getting on one of them"

"Why not?"

"They're dangerous"

"They are not" Regina replies, "Horses are majestic creatures and if you build the proper bond with your horse then they won't hurt you"

Emma smiles at the answer, "Well I'm still not getting on a horse any time soon. Come on we'll take my car"

"You mean that bug thing?"

Emma rolls her eyes at her, "Yes my Bug unless you'd rather walk on that ankle?"

Regina sighs, "I guess the Bug it is"

"Rubes you wanna lift?" Emma calls out.

"No thanks Ems. Belle's going to pick me up and don't worry about food. We'll bring some in"

"Cool thanks Ruby. See ya later"

* * *

"See the bug isn't so bad is it?" Emma asks after laughing at Regina's scrunched up face upon first entering her admittedly messy car.

"I suppose I've been in worse vehicles" Regina admits begrudgingly.

"One day I will sway you on the Bug" Emma says.

"It would take _a lot_ of persuasion Emma"

"Luckily I can be very persuasive" Emma replies with a mischievous wink before kissing Regina passionately. Regina responds admittedly wrapping her arms around Emma's neck and tangling one in her blonde curls. She grins as Emma's tongue works its way across her lips and into her mouth. Emma moans when Regina runs her own tongue slowly across her lip and the sound only heightens Regina's arousal for the other woman. She pulls back her own lust darkened eyes searching Emma's darkening blue eyes before Emma pulls her back in for another deep kiss. It's Emma who stops them when she feels Regina's hands move to settle at the base of her shirt.

"Wait, we're not doing this here" she says.

Regina pulls back with a frown. "What?" she asks, a dejected expression painting her features and Emma immediately takes her hand. "Look I want you I'm not going to deny that but I feel like we could be something and so three dates Regina"

"Three dates" Regina agrees with a small smile touched that Emma doesn't want to rush, that she wants them to be more than a quickie in her bug.

"And like not tomorrow as a third date or something. I want to have a second second date"

"A second second date" Regina repeats confusedly.

"Well you said coffee today was our second date which was awesome but let's not count drop-bys. Let's count dates where we go out and get to know each other. I want to date you Regina" Emma says sucking in a deep breath in anticipation. She's never really dated anyone. There were a few people in high school but that was just fooling around. With Regina she wants the whole shebang. Finally after the tensest few seconds of Emma's life Regina smiles and she lets herself breath.

"You want to date me" Regina repeats with a growing smile, "I want to date you too Emma" she adds before giving the other woman a gentler more chaste kiss this time.

Emma smiles kissing her back before getting out of her beloved bug and moving to help Regina out. She frowns as Regina continues to limp slightly, "Get on my back"

"What?"

"I'll give you a piggyback" Emma clarifies.

"Emma. I'm fine"

"Regina you know how many stairs there are up to my apartment. You won't make it"

"Will too"

"Urgh! You're so stubborn" Emma huffs, "Why won't you let me help you up there?"

Regina frowns before quietly admitting, "Because I don't know how"

Emma blinks in confusion at the answer before turning Regina to face her noticing the tears building in brown eyes, "What?"

"No-one ever wants to help me Emma and when they do I don't really let them"

"Why not?"

"My mother always said it was a sign of weakness, that I should be able to do things myself"

Emma frowns before leaning in closer to Regina, "It's not a weakness to lean on people sometimes. That's why we have friends and people who care about us Regina because they can help us when we need it and because they want to. Let me help you" she says crouching down.

Regina chews her lip for several moments before slowly climbing onto Emma's back, "You won't drop me will you?" she asks worriedly.

Emma rolls her eyes, "I won't drop you"

_Always happy to hear what you think. Hope you enjoyed it and see you next time :)_


	6. Chapter 6

_AN: Hi again, sorry for the delay, I had a lot of assignments due at once and then other fics so thanks for bearing with me. Thank you all for your reviews and alerts so far. Hope you're enjoying the fic. Apologies for any mistakes. Hope you like this next part :)_

"Emma you can put me down now" Regina says when they reach the top of the stairs with a nervous frown. Emma looks up to her, "Regina, your ankle is still pretty bad, let me just get you inside"

"But your friends" Regina begins earnestly. Her mother always told her of the importance of a first impression and somehow she doubts being piggybacked is the best means of an introduction. Emma frowns before giving a reassuring squeeze to the woman's hands, "Trust me, my friends won't care"

"Are you sure?"

"Regina, they've seen weirder stuff than piggyback rides" Emma answers with a small smirk as she remembers the night that she, Ruby and Ashley had to deliver Mary Margaret back to her house in a wheelbarrow. From what she recalls of that night they ended up dumping her on the front lawn before accidentally setting off her parent's sprinklers and fleeing.

"I just think maybe I should meet your friends on foot" Regina says whilst worriedly chewing her bottom lip.

Emma sighs sensing Regina's obvious discomfort, "Okay but at least lean on me and keep your weight off your ankle" she instructs. Regina nods as Emma eases her to a standing position before leaning heavily onto Emma's arm. "Better?" Emma asks.

"Yes dear" Regina says with a small smile before looking to Emma, "I'm sorry, I guess, just I'm used to having to make a good impression and I want your friends to like me" she can tell these people are important to Emma, that if she wants to be a part of Emma's life then the people's she's about to meet will be a part of that too. At the same time she knows that this means she is important to Emma, you don't introduce just anyone to your friends right? At least she doesn't think so. She's never introduced anyone to Kathryn, she's never met anyone worthy of that kind of introduction. It's quite something to know that to Emma, she is worthy of it. It fills her with hope for this relationship, her first in a long time.

Emma smiles reassuringly at her, "Regina they'll like you"

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I like you" Emma replies with a nonchalant shrug to hide her own nerves at announcing such a sentiment.

Regina beams at her in response, "You like me?"

"Very much" Emma clarifies.

"I like you too" Regina says before turning her head to kiss Emma tenderly. Emma smiles as she kisses her back carefully holding onto the slightly shorter woman.

They part at the sound of a wolf whistle from Ruby who walks past them with a grin. "Ruby" her girlfriend Belle says in a scolding voice before smiling at Regina, "Hi, I'm Belle"

"Regina Mills" the other woman replies shaking Belle's proffered hand. Belle frowns pensively before her eyes widen in recognition, "Your mother is Cora Mills?"

"Yes" Regina answers with a barely perceptible sigh.

"My father does business deals with her, perhaps you know him, Maurice French?"

"Oh, the landscaper?" Regina asks in reply as she searches her mind through her the various contacts her mother has.

Belle nods with a smile, "Yep that's him."

"My mother says he does very impressive work"

"What do you think of it?" Belle asks curiously.

Regina blinks in surprise, normally when it comes to her mother's businesses people seldom ask her opinion, at her magazine they have to but in her mother's domain what Cora Mills says goes. She pauses for a moment before answering, "I like his roses and topiary" she always has especially the horses he designed for one of her mother's estates.

Belle smiles in response before Ruby takes her hand, "Shall we continue this inside? Food's getting cold" she says holding up the two boxes and a bag.

"What'd we get?" Emma asks eyeing the bag hungrily.

"Pizza and beer"

"Score" Emma says as Regina wrinkles her nose, "Pizza and beer?"

"You never had pizza and beer?" Emma asks in surprise.

"Can't say I have"

"Oh you are in for a treat. We're about to have the traditional Emma Swan Tuesday Night Dinner" Emma says excitedly before she practically hauls Regina into the apartment, "Eager?" Regina asks at the sight of Emma practically drooling in anticipation of pizza.

"Pizza Regina. _Pizza_"

"I'm guessing you enjoy pizza" Regina says with an eye-roll.

"There's an understatement" Mary Margaret says with a smile before giving Emma a surprised and curious look, "I'm Mary Margaret and that's Ashley" she says pointing to her other blonde friend who is currently on the phone to her own boyfriend. Ashley waves, her eyes widening at the sight of Emma and a date, not just any date mind you but Regina Mills, in their apartment.

"I'm Regina" she says offering her hand which Mary Margaret shakes primly.

"I know, I recognised you from your magazine" the other woman replies pointing to a battered copy of NYStyle on their coffee table.

"Oh" Regina says awkwardly before looking to Emma for help as to what she's supposed to say next. Emma smiles at her before helping her onto the settee, "Put your ankle up, I'll go get some ice"

"It's fine Emma, there's no need to make a fuss"

"I think she's right, it looks pretty bad" Mary Margaret chimes in, "How'd you do that anyway?"

"My shoe broke while I was running"

"You run in heels like that?" the other woman asks stunned by the sight of what used to be stiletto heels next to Regina's feet.

"Not normally, just when the trains decide to be late and I have a meeting with Albert Spencer" Regina replies internally groaning at the mere thought of the boring man.

"Yikes, would you like a beer?"

"I suppose so" Regina replies courteously. She doesn't typically drink beer but after today she could do with a drink. She takes the bottle cautiously before taking a slow sip.

Emma laughs as she comes back in and sees Regina's slightly disgusted face before she looks at the beer. She wraps the ice around the woman's swollen ankle before looking up to her, "Not a beer drinker are you?"

Regina smiles apologetically, "Not really dear, sorry"

"It's cool, I think we've got some wine around here somewhere if you want that instead"

"Do you mind? I'd hate to be a bother"

"It's no bother, I'll go get some" Mary says excusing herself to go search for the wine that is somewhere in their kitchen.

"Your friends seem nice" Regina says as Emma hauls herself up to sit next to her casually looping an arm around blazer-clad shoulders. Regina smiles at the motion before leaning into Emma's shoulder.

"They're alright, wait until the inquisition starts"

"Hey we're not that bad" Ashley says as she puts her phone down, "Hi I'm Ashley"

"Regina Mills"

"Oh I know. I read your magazine all the time. It's like the best one ever"

"Thank you dear"

"What's it like?"

"What?"

"Running a magazine? Is it amazing? Do you get to go to all those fashion shows?" Ashley asks excitedly.

"Ease up Ash, I'm sure she probably doesn't want to talk about work" Emma replies.

Regina smiles before turning to Emma, "It's alright, I always get asked about work" It's true, whenever she meets people they do tend to ask the questions Ashley's just done. She smiles though because Emma clearly wants her to be comfortable here, to not have to talk if she doesn't want to. She could avoid it but she finds with Emma's friends, who genuinely seems to be interested unlike her mother's associates who ask purely to be polite, she doesn't mind satisfying their curiosity, "It's hectic but most days it's worth it and yes I get invited to most of the fashion shows"

"Wow" Ashley replies, "Sounds a lot more exciting than waitressing and the rec centre"

"It's not as exciting as it seems. There's a lot of paperwork and meetings involved. I miss working with people sometimes. You work at a rec centre? What's that like?"

Ashley smiles widely, clearly the rec centre is her true vocation, "It's fun, mostly it's just supervising and organising activities for the kids. It probably sounds really boring"

"Not at all"

"Is Sean coming tonight?" Emma asks noticing the absence of Ashley's boyfriend.

"No, he got called in for an extra shift so just us girls for drinks tonight"

"If you don't mind me asking how come you do drinks tonight? I thought most people did that on the weekends" Regina asks curiously. Normally she gets roped into blind dates over the weekend but she knows a lot of people go out with friends.

"Oh well we all have to work Saturday or we volunteer" Emma explains, "but we all get Wednesday off so we have girl's night on a Tuesday. It's kind of tradition. Where's Ruby with the pizza? I'm starving. I skipped lunch"

"_You_ skipped lunch?!" Ashley asks shocked.

"You skipped lunch for me?" Regina asks with a warm smile touched by the gesture. Emma blushes before nodding and Regina's smile grows as she turns to give Emma a sweet and grateful kiss, "Thank you Emma" she says when she pulls back.

"Totally worth it" Emma replies before kissing Regina again.

"Pizza and wine" Ruby announces as enters the room with Emma immediately reaching for the pizza and biting into a slice. "Wow didn't even off one to her girlfriend" Ruby says with a fake disapproving look.

Emma chews quickly before fixing Ruby with a glare and then turning to Regina, "Sorry" she says sheepishly.

"It's fine dear, it's rather amusing watching you attempt to inhale your food" Regina says before swiping some tomato sauce off of her girlfriend's cheek.

"It's pizza" Emma says in her defence before handing the brunette a slice of pepperoni.

"Thank you" Regina says before taking a delicate bite of the cheesy slice in her hand. She chews it contemplatively, admittedly it's not as bad as it looked, "You really eat this every Tuesday?"

"And every Wednesday morning for breakfast" Ruby replies.

At that Regina turns to her with a horrified expression, "Pizza for breakfast?!"

The rest laugh at her look of sheer surprise and disgust, "I'm guessing you've never tried that?" Ashley asks.

"Can't say I blame her" Belle replies remembering her own past experience with chilled pizza.

"In all fairness Belle we warned you not to have the entire thing" Ruby says affectionately rubbing her girlfriend's arm.

"You did not" Belle says indignantly before turning to Regina, "If they dare you to eat a whole cold pizza don't accept" she warns.

Regina laughs, "Oh I never back down from a dare"

"Never?" Emma asks with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Never" Regina confirms with a wink before noticing that the rest of the group are staring at them.

"Guys cut it out!" Emma says flicking a piece of pepper at her friends.

"Emma!" Mary shouts in surprise, "We are not having a food fight, not again"

"Sorry Ems" Ruby says, "It's just so strange to see you with another woman"

"I'm guessing she doesn't invite many people up here?" Regina asks as she takes a sip of her wine which is a fairly decent Merlot.

"No, so you must be pretty special" Ashley replies, "Aside from being the Regina Mills of course" she adds in an awestruck voice.

Regina smiles politely at the comment but god does it bother her being known as 'the Regina Mills'. She doesn't say anything though because these are Emma's friends and she doesn't want to inadvertently offend them. Emma smiles apologetically at her sensing her discomfort at her friend's obvious awe at her, "Yeah Ash Regina is pretty special"

"Pretty special?" Regina asks with a widening grin.

"The specialest of all" Emma says with a matching smile before she leans into to kiss her tasting a delicious blend of wine, pizza and something that is purely Regina.

"Aw" Belle says watching the two. She's never seen Emma look or act like this with anyone. It's nice, she thinks, to see Emma so happy and at ease with someone.

"So" Regina begins, "How do you all know Emma?"

"We were in the same school classes for like ever" Ruby says.

"In Storybrooke everyone knows everyone" Emma adds, "It's a very small town"

"Okay so how did you all become friends then?"

Ruby laughs, "We were told not to tell you of what we call the 'boat incident'"

"'Boat incident'?" Regina asks curiously.

"Thank you Ruby" Emma says with a glare in her friend's direction.

"It's a funny story" Mary-Margaret adds.

"It is not"

"Tell me please" Regina says putting her hands together, "If you do maybe I'll tell you one" she offers.

"A question for a question?"

"Deal"

"Deal" Emma says sealing it with a kiss.

"So we can tell it?" Ashley asks.

"Let me tell you the real story" Emma says quickly fearful of embellishments from her friends, "We were about 7/8 and we had to go on this school trip to the docks"

"A school trip to the docks?"

"There are only so many places to visit in Storybrooke" Ruby explains.

"Anyway when we had done the tour they had set up these swan boats for us to go on as a fun break."

"Oh I love those" Regina says with a smile.

"I don't'. I never did" Emma replies, "Anyway we had to go on in groups and the four of us got put together to pedal this boat and naturally because it was a me boat I felt I should lead"

"A 'you' boat?"

"Basically little Swan here stood up in our boat and said 'I'm a Swan. This is a Swan boat so this is my ship"

"Oh dear Emma"

"It was sound reasoning. I was 7. So I took it upon myself to captain our boat but uhm it turned out I wasn't particularly great at directions"

"That's one way to put it" Ashley says with a growing smile.

"What happened?"

"Well it was a race and I wanted to win and as we were pedalling I saw a short-cut and decided we should go through there"

"We did try to tell her it wasn't" Ruby interjects.

"You did not! What you said was "Yeah let's go for it little Swan!" Emma replies with a huff. "And if I remember correctly M&M was too busy trying to get the fish out of the water to warn me. And Ashley you were looking at me like I was kinda nuts. Anyway as the leader I steered us down this little side stream and it was going great until we hit a bank"

"And?" Regina asks eager to hear the rest.

"Well at the time I was standing up to try and get a better view of where we were going"

"You were pretending to be a pirate" Mary Margaret corrects.

"A pirate?" Regina laughs. "I can't picture you as a pirate"

"I watched a lot of cartoons with pirates in them" Emma explains. "Anyway I was standing up and as we hit the back I kind of flew forward a little andintoabush" she rushes out the end.

"What?" Regina asks just making out the word 'bush'.

Ruby laughs still remembering the image of little Emma stuck in a bush, "She tripped out of the boat and right into this bush. It was so funny because all we could see were her legs kicking around to try and get out"

Regina tries and fails to stifle a giggle at the image, "Did you get her out?"

"Well we all climbed out of the boat and started pulling her free. Then as we did she fell again and knocked us all into the water"

"It was an accident" Emma says as she snickers at the memory of them all toppling into the water.

"When they found us we were all soaked and having a splash war" Mary Margaret adds with a fond smile.

"Needless to say we did not win that race" Ashley says with a wide smile.

"Her dad's face though was priceless when they eventually pulled her out and she was covered in branches and seaweed. She looked like a swamp monster" Ruby says, "I think we have a picture somewhere actually"

"No I'm sure we don't" Emma says hastily.

"Yes we do!" Mary yells before running out of the room.

"Oh god" Emma mumbles burying her face in her hands.

"So essentially your friendship began because Emma wanted to be a pirate?" Regina asks through a small laugh.

"Yep" Ruby says "And we've been friends ever since though Emma has never been on a Swan Boat again"

"Never? Scared?" Regina asks in a challenging voice.

"Pfft, me no way" Emma says cockily.

"Is that why you flinch and squeal when we pretend to push you into one?" Ruby asks.

"That is out of surprise rather than fear"

"Really dear?"

"That's my story and I'm sticking to it" Emma replies sipping her beer.

"Here it is!" Mary Margaret declares holding a photo album before flicking to a picture of four soaking wet and sea-weed covered girls. She can see herself holding a fish in a bag and Emma covered in sticks and leaves. Regina leans over and looks at the photo, a wide smile gracing her lips at the sight of a young Emma. In a way she envies Emma for having friends like this, the only long-term true friendship she has is Kathryn, who she loves but unlike Emma in her childhood she had acquaintances and children of her mother's friends to play with, no-one she's still friends with now, "You look adorable" she tells Emma.

"I look like I was dragged through a hedge backwards"

"Well in all fairness you were. So you guys have been close since then?"

"Yep"

"That must be really nice"

"It is" Emma agrees, "You okay?" she asks noting the slightly sad tone.

"Yeah I'm fine" Regina says dismissively and Emma frowns, "Can you guys give us a minute?" she asks before lifting Regina up and walking them into her bedroom.

"Sneaking me into your room already Swan?" Regina asks with a suggestive wink. Emma smirks at her looking at the state of chaos that is her bedroom, "If I were I think I would have tidied up first"

"Maybe you like things dirty?"

"Maybe" Emma says with a chuckle before clearing a space on the bed for them to sit, "So what's going on? Is this too much? I mean, did I introduce you to soon? I'm sorry, I'm not great at relationships"

Regina smiles softly, "Neither am I Emma and no this isn't on you. Your friends are great and seeing you with them is really nice, it's just I never had friends like that"

"Really?"

"I have Kathryn, she's my best friend, I met her in college but I don't have friends, like really close friends who have known me my whole life. I don't really know how. All I had were people my mother knew"

"Oh" Emma says, "I'm not great at advice but my mom is. She always tell me that I should surround myself with the people who care about me, who I know will make me happy."

"Your Mom sounds really great"

"She is. She gets on my case every now and then but I love her"

"At least she's supportive" Regina says.

"Your Mom isn't?"

"She has her own ideas of where I should be headed in life. Apparently I'm not going in the right direction for her"

"That sucks Regina, I'm sorry"

"It's alright, I guess I kind of got used to being alone"

"Well you don't have to anymore Regina. I bet you learn real fast"

"I have an aptitude for new things" Regina says with a smile.

"Well then let's get you used to not being alone. Wanna go back out there or make out a little?"

"Hm" Regina says pretending to think it over before wrapping her arms around Emma's waist and kissing her deeply. Emma kisses her back before pulling back with a serious expression, "You shouldn't have to be used to being alone Regina."

"Maybe you can make sure I'm not anymore" Regina replies as she kisses her again, this time swiping her tongue across Emma's lower lip. Emma smiles before sliding her along Regina's before slipping into Regina's mouth. Hands slide up her shirt and settle on the bare flesh of her back sending shivers up her spine. She moves her own hands to rest against Regina's hips pulling them closer to each other.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, with mussed hair and slightly kiss swollen lips they walk back into the living room. Ruby gives them both a knowing look as Regina blushes, "We were wondering if you'd got lost in there"

"We'd have understood, maybe you were swallowed up by the pile of clothes" Mary Margaret chimes in.

"It's not that bad" Emma says indignantly.

"Emma, once you lost your keys in there for a month" Ashley replies.

"Okay it could use a little tidying up"

"Her room always looks like that Regina." Belle warns.

"Really dear?"

"I have a tendency to just chuck things everywhere" Emma admits, "I like having things to hand"

"You should have seen her room at her parent's house, it's still covered in bits of paper. Her mom says Emma won't let her throw it out"

"That's my artwork" Emma says, "I might find something in there one day that I can use again"

"Ems you've been saying that for years" Ruby says chugging the end of her beer.

"Well I have new inspiration" she says smiling at Regina.

"How long have you been drawing?"

Emma shrugs, "I don't know, since forever I guess. It was just something I always loved"

"I remember once when she was 9 she got in trouble with her Mom because she drew all over her bedroom walls" Mary Margaret says, "I thought she was going to kill you"

"They were nice drawings though"

"What did you draw?"

Emma blushes, "Birds"

"Birds?"

"I had a phase where I liked to draw birds everywhere, like every sketch I did there would be a bird. Mostly swans. Anyway you owe us a story" Emma says.

Regina groans, "Okay what would you like to know?"

"Well I told you when I met my friends, how did you meet Kathryn?"

Regina blushes, "I met her initially in our first dorm meeting. She lived next door to me but we didn't properly talk until the party that night"

"Regina Mills at a college party" Emma says in a mock scandalised tone.

Regina laughs, "Well I'd had a couple of drinks, but not many when Kathryn came up to me. She recognised me from earlier that day and well she dared me to do the Jagerbomb challenge"

"Did you?" Emma asks having seen people do Jagerbombs at the bar.

"Never back down from a dare remember. Well in this challenge you and another person had to do four in a row as quick as you can. She picked me because she'd seen me with just a couple of drinks and figured I'd be easy to beat. She really wasn't expecting me to chug them back so fast but I won" Regina says with a smile, "Admittedly I woke up the next morning on the lawn with an apron over my face and Cyndi Lauper lyrics all over my arm"

"Why?"

"According to Kathryn, though I personally don't remember this, I kept singing 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' but because I was slightly tipsy I kept forgetting the lyrics and so I made her write them on me. I think the apron was because I wanted to bake something and then just gave up. Unfortunately she used a permanent marker which was fun to explain to my mother when I visited home a few weeks later"

Emma laughs imagining a drunk Regina belting out 80s pop songs, "Cyndi Lauper huh?"

"She's a good musician" Regina argues taking a sip of her wine.

"Do we get to hear you sing?" Emma asks hopefully.

"I'm nowhere near drunk enough. Do you sing?"

"Only in the shower" Emma says.

"I can attest to that" Ashley says, "It's usually Disney songs, what was yesterday's?"

"I think it was 'A Whole New World'" Mary Margaret answers.

"Okay I did not know they could all hear me"

"You're not a quiet singer Ems" Ruby says.

"And none of you thought to tell me?"

"And miss out on our early morning entertainment?" Ashley asks.

"Besides we would never have missed your rendition of Hakuna Matata" Mary adds.

"If we put on The Lion King would you sing along?" Regina asks.

"You'll never know" Emma says watching as Regina looks to their DVD cabinet before looking over to Ruby with a positively devious smile, "Anyone up for a movie?"

_Always happy to hear what you think, hope you enjoyed. Thanks for reading :)_


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